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{ 39 INMATES IN BYCULLA WOMEN’S JAIL TEST +VE } PREMISES SEALED

Nations backing terror must No decision yet on

know it’ll hurt them too: PM city schools’ restart
Mehul R Thakkar

PM Modi expresses INDIA SLAMS PAK [email protected]

MUMBAI: Although the Maha-

concern at ease of USE OF TERROR AS rashtra government has
doing business ranks STATE POLICY AS announced reopening of
schools, places of worship, cin-
being manipulated, IMRAN BRINGS UP ema theatres, auditoriums in
October, Mumbai civic authori-
mentions virus origin
probe in thinly veiled
KASHMIR AT UNGA ties are taking a cautious
approach. A final decision on
NEW DELHI: India has rubbished reopening of schools, religious
references to China Pakistan Prime Minister Imran places and theatres in Mumbai
Yashwant Raj Khan’s criticism of the situation will be taken by the Brihanmum-
in Jammu and Kashmir at the bai Municipal Corporation
[email protected]
UN General Assembly, and said (BMC) next week after carefully
WASHINGTON: Prime Minister the neighbouring country has studying the local situation of
Narendra Modi on Saturday misused global forums to spread Covid-19, said mayor Kishori
cautioned the UN general false propaganda while openly Pednekar on Saturday. Civic offi-
assembly about countries with using terrorism as an instru- cials are watching the situation
“regressive thinking” that are ment of state policy. in the aftermath of the Ganesh
using terrorism as a “political Exercising the right of reply to festival and planning to com-
tool”, and called for efforts to respond to allegations made by plete vaccination of teachers Beneficiaries get inoculated against Covid-19 at Vile Parle on
ensure that no country takes the Pakistani premier at the Gen- through a special drive before Saturday. SATISH BATE/HT
advantage of the “delicate situa- eral Assembly, first secretary at taking a decision on reopening.
tion” in Afghanistan for its own
selfish interests.
Modi flew to New York from Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly on Saturday. AP
India’s UN mission in New York,
Sneha Dubey, described Pakistan
as “an arsonist disguising itself
Also, the BMC on Saturday
sealed Byculla women’s jail
premises after 39 inmates were
Auditoriums, cinema
Washington after holding his
first bilateral meeting with US
President Joe Biden in the Biden supports permanent seat
as a firefighter”.
“Regrettably, this is not the
first time the leader of Pakistan
found infected with Covid-19.
Civic officials said they initially
received complaints that a few
halls across state can
White House and attending his has misused platforms provided inmates were down with fever
be open from Oct 22
first in-person Quad Summit.
Addressing the UN general
assembly in Hindi, Prime Minis-
for India at UN Security Council by the UN to propagate false and
malicious propaganda against
my country, and seeking in vain
after which three Covid cases
were detected. Post this, a fever
camp was set up in which 36 Swapnil Rawal of the cinema halls and audito-
ter Modi called for the protec- WASHINGTON: US President Joe dency in August 2021, the state- manent member countries to divert the world’s attention more cases of Covid-19 were riums, senior officials said.
[email protected]
tion of oceans and ocean Biden reiterated America’s sup- ment said. which are elected for a two-year from the sad state of his country, detected. Chief minister Thackeray
resources from the “race for port to India’s permanent mem- “In this context, President term by the General Assembly of where terrorists enjoy free pass The state government on Fri- MUMBAI: A day after the Maha- held a meeting with a delega-
expansion and exclusion”, say- bership on a reformed United Biden also reiterated US support the United Nations. while the lives of ordinary peo- day announced reopening of rashtra government announced tion of cinema and theatre own-
ing they must be used and not Nations Security Council (UNSC) for India’s permanent member- There has been growing ple, especially those belonging to schools for those above Class 8 reopening of schools and places ers on Saturday, where film
abused and they are a lifeline of and its entry into the Nuclear ship on a reformed UN Security demand to increase the number the minority communities, are in the city from October 4, fol- of worship across the state, director-producer Rohit Shetty
international trade. He did not Suppliers Group (NSG), a joint Council and for other countries of permanent members to reflect turned upside down,” Dubey lowed by religious places from chief minister Uddhav Thack- was also present, following
name any country, but this statement issued, after his first who are important champions of the contemporary global reality. said responding to Khan October 7. On Saturday, the state eray on Saturday announced which the decision on reopen-
appeared to be a reference to in-person bilateral meeting with multilateral cooperation and During his meeting with PM Prime Minister Khan spoke government also announced that cinema halls and auditori- ing the cinema halls and audito-
China’s increasing aggression in Prime Minister Narendra Modi aspire to permanent seats on the Modi, Biden also reaffirmed US about issues such as the need for reopening of theatres and audi- ums will open their doors to riums was taken.
the Indo-Pacific region. at the White House Friday, said. UN Security Council,” it said. support for India’s entry to the a dialogue to counter Islamo- toriums from October 22. people from October 22. As part of its graded unlock-
He also warned the world President Biden, in his talks The UNSC comprises five per- NSG, the joint statement said. phobia and steps to promote Pednekar told HT: “The fear The state government will ing of restrictions, the state has
body about its own diminishing with PM Modi, applauded manent members — Russia, the The NSG is a 48-member group- interfaith harmony, but a major- regarding the third wave of finalise and issue standard been giving relaxations since
relevance and credibility, reiter- India’s “strong leadership” dur- UK, China, France and the ing which regulates global ity of his address was focused on Covid has considerably reduced operating procedure (SOP) early August.
continued on →5 ing its UN Security Council Presi- United States — and 10 non-per- nuclear commerce. India and Afghanistan. continued on →6 next week for the management →FULL REPORT, P2

{ TRAVELLING ABROAD } AMID UK ISSUE { IN PUNJAB }

CENTRE TO SOON CYCLONE GULAB
ANNOUNCE NEW ‘CoWIN certificates to KEEPS ANDHRA Capt loyalists to be kept out of new cabinet
COOPERATIVE AND ODISHA ON
POLICY: SHAH
NEW DELHI: The Union govern-
mention date of birth’ ORANGE ALERT Ravinder Vasudeva
[email protected]
saying that he felt “humiliated”.
Channi, who was elected for
the top post a day later, met gov-
Kuljit Singh Nagra, Sangat
Singh Gilzian, Pargat Singh, Raj
Kumar Verka, Amrinder Singh
A consensus on the names for
the cabinet expansion was
reached during his meeting with
ment will soon amend laws to Press Trust of India cination certificates state that NEW DELHI: A deep depression CHANDIGARH: Newly appointed ernor Banwarilal Purohit at the Raja Warring, Gurpreet Kotli Congress leader Rahul Gandhi
strengthen cooperatives, home the beneficiary’s date of birth is over the Bay of Bengal intensi- Punjab chief minister Charanjit Raj Bhavan on Saturday, seeking and Rana Gurjit Singh are likely and other senior party members
[email protected]
and cooperation minister Amit a “required” field. fied into a cyclone on Saturday Singh Channi is likely to induct time for cabinet expansion to fill to be inducted in the new cabi- in Delhi, the functionaries said.
Shah said, while detailing an NEW DELHI: The government Currently, CoWIN certificates and an orange alert has been at least seven new faces in his 15 berths on his council of minis- net, the functionaries said. Channi was summoned to
agenda to reset governance in a will soon introduce a new fea- only mention the beneficiary’s issued for north Andhra Pra- cabinet and drop five MLAs, who ters. While Verka hails from the Delhi by the Congress high com-
sector critical to the rural econ- ture to the CoWIN platform to age based on the year of birth. desh and adjoining south Odi- were a part of the Amarinder “The oath-taking ceremony Valmiki community, Gilzian rep- mand on Friday to discuss the
omy. In July, Prime Minister add the full date of birth of fully The UK on Wednesday sha coasts, the India Meteoro- Singh-led government, Congress for the new ministers will take resents the other backward cabinet formation. The visit
Narendra Modi reshuffled his vaccinated beneficiaries who amended its new travel guide- logical Department (IMD) said. functionaries familiar with the place at 4.30pm on Sunday,” classes (OBCs). The five other came within hours of him
cabinet, carving out a new min- wish to travel abroad on the cer- lines to include Covishield, the The cyclonic storm, Gulab, is matter said Saturday. Channi said after the meeting. MLAs are Jat Sikhs. returning from the national cap-
istry of cooperation, which was tificates, officials familiar with Indian-made version of the likely to cross the north Andhra The new Punjab cabinet was His meeting with the gover- According to experts, after ital. The party leadership has
earlier a department under the the matter said on Saturday. AstraZeneca vaccine, in its list Pradesh and south Odisha finalised after three rounds of nor came barely hours after he Amarinder’s resignation, the reportedly given its approval for
agriculture ministry. Outlining The development has come of approved Covid-19 vaccines, coasts, with a wind speed of 75 discussions with the Congress returned from Delhi after a final Congress is trying to balance dropping five ministers from the
the government’s plans, Shah amid ongoing discussions after India called its decision to to 85 kmph gusting to 90 kmph leadership, the functionaries round of discussions with the caste equations in the poll- previous Amarinder Singh cabi-
said his ministry would focus on between India and the United consider fully vaccinated Indi- on Sunday evening, IMD said. said. party high command on the cab- bound state. net. These include Balbir Singh
building cooperative societies as Kingdom (UK) over coronavirus ans “unvaccinated” discrimina- “The deep depression over With under five months to go inet formation. While Channi, a Dalit leader, Sidhu, Gurpreet Singh Kangar,
a pivot of a whole gamut of eco- disease (Covid-19) vaccination tory. northwest and adjoining west- for the state elections, Captain According to party functiona- was elected as the Congress Leg- Rana Gurmeet Sodhi, Sadhu
nomic activities in the rural sec- certificates. However, Indian travellers central Bay of Bengal moved Amarinder Singh resigned as ries, Channi called the MLAs islature Party leader, the party Singh Dharamsot and Sundar
tor, from farm inputs to credit. “It has been decided that a vaccinated with two doses of nearly westwards with a speed chief minister last Saturday after likely to be part of the cabinet picked Sukhjinder Singh Ran- Shyam Arora. The Punjab cabi-
“We are bringing within a new feature will be added to Covishield would still have to of 7kmph in last six hours, and the Congress summoned a meet- expansion personally to inform dhawa, a Jat Sikh, and OP Soni, a net can have 18 MLAs, including
short time changes to the Act to CoWIN under which those who undergo 10 days of quarantine intensified into Cyclonic Storm ing of its lawmakers in the state, of the development. Hindu, to be his deputies. the CM and his two deputies.
smoothen processes in areas like are fully vaccinated and want to in the UK notwithstanding the ‘Gulab’,” the IMD said.
multi-sector cooperatives. This travel abroad will have full date amendment, UK officials clari- IMD has predicted tidal
will be a big step in our march of birth on their vaccination fied on Wednesday. waves of about 0.5m height
towards development. We have certificates,” one of the officials “We’re clear Covishield is not which are likely to inundate low { MUST READ }
decided that shortly we will have cited above said. a problem...We have been hav- lying areas of Srikakulam, Viz-
a new cooperation policy. First, The new feature, likely to be ing detailed technical discus- ianagaram and Ganjam districts
OBC quota: State
Atal (Bihari Vajpayee)-ji brought available from next week, is sions to ensure that both coun- when the cyclone makes land- undecided on SC move
such a policy in 2002. Now Mod- being introduced in compliance tries mutually recognise the fall in Andhra Pradesh. The sys- A day after promulgating an
iji will bring (a new policy) in with World Health Organization vaccine certificates issued by tem is expected to bring wide- ordinance to provide up to 27%
2021-22,” he said, addressing a (WHO) norms. each other,” British High Com- spread rainfall to parts of east reservation to OBC, the state
conference of cooperative socie- WHO guidelines for digital missioner Alex Ellis had said in and central India before head- government is still undecided

Riders
ties. documentation of Covid-19 vac- a statement on Wednesday. ing to Gujarat, officials said. over approaching the SC. →P2

DOMBIVLI RAPE
Reform laws to cut judicial on the
storm
CASE: WHATSAPP
GROUP UNDER
POLICE SCANNER
Gautam S.Mengle
interventions, says CJI Ramana They went up against
Uber and survived.
[email protected] They’ve held their
Utkarsh Anand and interpreting the same,” CJI
MUMBAI: A WhatsApp group
[email protected]
{ NV RAMANA } CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA Ramana said. own in the pandemic.
that the Dombivli gangrape sur- Speaking at the inauguration Now, Ola has
vivor and some of the accused
were part of has come under the
NEW DELHI: The judiciary will
not have to step into the shoes of P of a new building of the Odisha
State Legal Services Authority at
announced bumper
plans to disrupt the
scanner of the Manpada police lawmakers only when the legis- Cuttack, justice Ramana said
after an obscene video of the lature revisits laws and reforms The legislature needs to that the notion about courts
electronic vehicles
market. Is this a wager
survivor was allegedly posted
on this group earlier this year,
them to suit the needs of the
time and people, Chief Justice of
revisit the laws and making the law requires to be
dispelled, but the executive and
they can win? →P9

officials said. India (CJI) NV Ramana said on reform them to suit the legislature need to step up.
The survivor registered a Saturday. “At the end of the day, it is the
case on Wednesday night, CJI Ramana was emphatic the needs of time and harmonious functioning of the { CULTURE }
wherein a total of 33 young men
eventually came to be named as
that laws must match with prac-
tical realities, and said it is the
people. I emphasise, three organs of the State (legisla-
ture, executive and judiciary) Action stations
accused, alleging intimidation, duty of the legislature and the our laws must match that can remove the procedural An upcoming auction will showcase posters
blackmail and prolonged sexual executive to do the needful. barriers to justice,” emphasised from the earliest era of the Hindi talkies,
abuse from January to Septem- “The Legislature needs to with our practical justice Ramana, adding that the including vibrant hand-painted art featuring
ber this year. The police have so revisit the laws and reform them legal framework needs to be
realities India’s first superwoman, Fearless Nadia →P10

A
far arrested 27 accused and also to suit the needs of time and peo- drastically altered to make the
sent two more, who are minors, ple. I emphasize, our laws must justice delivery mechanism peo-
to the juvenile remand home in match with our practical reali- ple friendly.
Bhiwandi. ties. The executive has to match There have been some recent MEET THE NEW BRUNCH!
According to people familiar these efforts by way of simplify- instances when the tussle
with the matter, the survivor, in ing the corresponding rules. tion in unison in realising the would not be compelled to step between the government and the HT’s iconic Sunday magazine in a
her statement, has said that one Most importantly, the executive constitutional aspirations. It is in as a lawmaker and would only Supreme Court over legislative younger, more fun avatar
continued on →6 and the legislature should func- only then that the Judiciary be left with the duty of applying continued on →5
02 SEPTEMBER 26, 2021
MUMBAI
SUNDAY

News
Cinema halls, auditoriums OBC quota: State undecided
ED ISSUES 2ND
SUMMONS TO
TRANSPORT MIN over approaching top court
ANIL PARAB
HT Correspondent
[email protected]

MUMBAI: The Enforcement

set to reopen from Oct 22 Faisal Malik
[email protected]

MUMBAI: A day after promul-

gating an ordinance to provide
IF STATE DOESN’T,
WE WILL GO TO SC,
SAYS BHUJBAL
for OBC reservation in urban
local bodies with approval
from Governor Bhagat Singh
Koshyari.
Chief secretary Sitaram
Directorate (ED) officers have Swapnil Rawal up to 27% reservation to the Chhagan Bhujbal, a senior Kunte said they wrote to the
issued a second summons to Other Backward Classes (OBC), NCP minister in the state election commission for
[email protected]
Maharashtra cabinet minister the Maharashtra government is Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi implementing the ordinance
Anil Parab asking him to MUMBAI: A day after the Maha- still undecided over approach- (MVA) government, said if from the bypolls itself but they
remain present before the rashtra government announced ing the Supreme Court (SC) as the government doesn’t replied in negative.
agency’s officials on September reopening schools and places of the state election commission want to do anything then “Soon after the cabinet deci-
28 for questioning in connec- worship across the state, chief already clarified that they have we will approach the court sion, we wrote to the state elec-
tion with former home minis- minister Uddhav Thackeray on declared the bypolls in six zilla for OBC reservation tion commission requesting to
ter Anil Deshmukh’s bribery- Saturday announced that cin- parishads (district councils) on through their outfit. “The consider the fresh reservation
cum-money laundering case. ema halls and auditoriums will the Apex Court directives and state government is yet to quota for holding bypolls in the
Shiv Sena leader and state open their doors to people from any change in it can be made decide the next course of backdrop of the ordinance. We
transport minister Parab was October 22. The state govern- with its directives only. action but if they don’t, told them if not considered
first summoned by the anti- ment will finalise and issue stan- Meanwhile, Chhagan Bhuj- then we will approach the then it may antagonize the OBC
money laundering agency on dard operating procedure (SOP) bal, a senior NCP minister in Supreme Court,” said community, which may lead to
August 31. early next week for the manage- the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi Bhujbal, who is also an a law and order situation in the
But the minister had then ment of the cinema halls and (MVA) government, said if the OBC leader. state but they said they are
sought some time as he needed auditoriums to follow, senior government doesn’t want to do unable to consider it at this
to attend some already sched- officials said. anything then we will approach stage and are following SC
uled public functions. Chief minister Uddhav Thack- the court for OBC reservation minister Hasan Mushrif did not orders,” Kunte told HT.
It is pertinent to note that eray held a meeting with a dele- through their outfit. respond to calls and text mes- “The commission further
the agency, in its recently filed gation of cinema and theatre Bhujbal is a food and civil sages. assured to consider the amend-
charge sheet against Desh- owners on Saturday, following supplies minister in the MVA The state government on Fri- ment for OBC reservation if the
mukh’s two close (arrested) which, the decision on reopen- government and heads an out- day issued an ordinance that Apex court issues fresh direct-
aides, had stated that the sus- ing the cinema halls and audito- fit — Akhil Bhartiya Mahatma provides up to 27% reservation ives,” he added.
pended assistant police inspec- riums was taken. Phule Samata Parishad to the OBC community in rural On March 4, the Supreme
tor Sachin Vaze in his state- The theatres and auditoriums (ABMPSP). local bodies. Court scrapped the 27% OBC
ment has claimed that he has are expected to be opened with Healthcare worker checks temperature of commuter at Dadar station on Saturday.BHUSHAN KOYANDE/HT It has held agitations for OBC But the issue could not be reservation in the local bodies
overheard someone saying that 50% of the seating capacity. Sen- reservation after SC scrapped resolved as the state election elections and directed the state
Parab received crores of rupees ior officials also said that it may Rajya Sabha Member of Par- around the 3,500-mark. On Sat- Ganeshotsav celebrations across the reservation. commission has refused to to appoint a dedicated commis-
through Nagpur’s deputy be opened for only fully vacci- liament and senior Shiv Sena urday, it logged 3,276 fresh Covid the state. Increased surveillance “The state government is yet implement the ordinance for sion for collecting empirical
regional transport officer nated citizens, but a final call is leader Sanjay Raut led the dele- cases. It also added 58 deaths, and targeted tests will keep the to decide the next course of the bypolls in six districts to be data, based on which reserva-
(RTO) Bajrang Kharmate as a yet to be taken on the same. A gation to meet chief minister taking the death toll to 138,834. spread low, and district adminis- action but if they don’t, then we held on October 5. tion for the community could
bribe for the transfers of 10 senior bureaucrat said that the Thackeray. Film director-pro- The state’s active case count tration have been directed the will approach the Supreme It has also told the state gov- be fixed. It also allowed the
DCPs in Mumbai last year. state will finalise the SOP on ducer Rohit Shetty, actors Kunal reduced to 37,984. Mumbai same,” a senior official said Court,” said Bhujbal, who is ernment that it will not be pos- state election commission to
Sources said that ED is trying Monday in a meeting by chief Kapoor, Makrand Deshpande, logged 455 fresh cases on Satur- requesting anonymity. also an OBC leader. sible for them to provide reser- hold local bodies polls, which is
to collect strong evidence secretary Sitaram Kunte, addi- Subodh Bhave and Adesh Ban- day, taking its tally to 740,760. It On Saturday, 40,911 tests were However, a senior minister, vation to the OBC community scheduled to be held on Octo-
against Parab and former home tional chief secretary (health) dekar were also present among reported five fatalities, pushing reported in the city, meaning a wishing not to be named said, in the bypolls as they are hold- ber 5 without OBC reservation.
minister Anil Deshmukh to Pradeep Vyas and other senior others. the death toll to 16,079 Mumbai’s daily positivity rate of 1.10%. The “No one has the right to inter- ing them on the Apex court State BJP unit asked the state
prove the allegations of bribery officials. Raut said, “The meeting was active caseload was 5,276. city’s recovery rate is 96% with fere once the elections are directives. government to approach the
in transfer and postings of gov- “Like last time, the cinema between owners of the cinema A health department official 716,941 recoveries. The mortality declared. The Supreme Court The ordinance issued by the Apex court to postpone the
ernment officers. halls and auditoriums will open halls and auditorium as the said that the state is opening up rate is 2.17 and there are 5,276 in one of its verdicts has made rural development department bypolls.
Earlier the ED questioned with 50% seating capacity. The industry has been struggling for activities that were restricted as active cases. this very clear. It won’t make stated that the combined reser- “By completing all the legal
Bajrang Kharmate, one of the meeting also discussed if only the past two years. In the begin- the infection rate is low. Dr Shashank Joshi, member any difference even if the state vation quota comprising process, the MVA government
officers, against whom an RTO fully vaccinated people should ning, it would open up with 50% “Week on week the positivity of Maharashtra’s Covid taskf government decides to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled should approach the Supreme
officer had complained, for sev- be allowed, with a view to lower capacity. What other restrictions is falling, the active cases are orce said, “We still have to follow approach the Apex court. The Tribe and OBC will not breach Court to postpone the bypolls
en-and-a-half hours. the risk and also encourage vac- will be put will be decided in a dropping now, and the bed occu- Covid-appropriate behaviour ordinance can be implemented the 50% ceiling as mandated by scheduled on October 5,” said
Kharmate is believed to be a cination. However, the final call meeting on Monday.” pancy too is low at the moment. and standard operating proce- for the upcoming election in the Supreme Court. For urban Chandrashekhar Bawankule,
close aide of Parab. His name is will be made next week,” the offi- Maharashtra, meanwhile, However, we expect some dures (SOP)’s for mindful relaxa- local bodies.” local bodies, it is in the process general secretary, state BJP
said to have cropped up in the cial said requesting anonymity. continued to report cases increase in cases following the tion.” State rural development of promulgating an ordinance unit.
statements of some witnesses
in the Prevention of Money
Laundering Act (PMLA) case
{ SENA SLAMS BJP } OVER SAKINAKA AND DOMBIVLI RAPE CASES
against Deshmukh. His phone
has also been scanned by the Recruitment exams for 6,200 vacant
investigators.
Earlier in September, ED had ‘Politicising rape incidents for mileage is disgusting’ posts cancelled; state orders probe
raided some places linked to
Kharmate in Pune and Nagpur the political mileage. This type of remained quiet. Had the girl
Swapnil Rawal SENA QUESTIONED
and had also recorded state- politics is disgusting,” the edito- knocked the doors for justice HT Correspondent 800K APPLICANTS as the health department their
ments of a few witnesses. [email protected] rial said. It said that the Opposi- SILENCE OF BJP earlier, the picture would have role was limited only to set up
[email protected] HAVE ENROLLED
The money laundering case tion must understand the two LEADERS ON THE been different,” it said. question papers, the rest of the
against Deshmukh was regis- MUMBAI: Days after the Dom- rape cases, referring to the Saki The editorial questioned the MUMBAI: The Uddhav Thacker- FOR RECRUITMENT preparations that include exam
ALLEGED
tered after the Central Bureau bivli rape incident came to the Naka incident and Dombivli case silence of the BJP leaders on the ay-led Maharashtra Vikas EXAMINATIONS centres, hall tickets, seating
of Investigation (CBI) filed a fore, Shiv Sena mouthpiece where 15-year-old girl was raped MOLESTATION OF A alleged molestation of a woman Aghadi (MVA) government is arrangement, exam supervisor,
FOR FILLING UP
first information report (FIR) Saamana defended the police by 32 accused over nine months. BJP WORKER BJP worker in the BJP corpora- facing ire after it postponed their training among others
against him on April 21. Desh- force saying it took prompt “As soon as the case came to tors office in Borivli and said it recruitment exams to fill up 6,205 VACANT was with the outsources firm.
mukh had in the past said that action without worrying about light, the police gave assurance and engaging in mudslinging on shows the double standard of the over 6,000 vacant posts in the POSTS The firm failed to complete
the allegations against him are the political connections of the to the girl and got her to file a the government and the police?” party. “While the Dombivli case state health department at the the preparations on time. The
false. accused in the case. An editorial complaint. The police carried the editorial asked. is being investigated, a BJP eleventh hour. The recruitment The health minister said, matter will be investigated and
The Central agency has in Sena mouthpiece also out their duty well and the Dom- The editorial further added office-bearer molested a woman exams were scheduled on Sat- “The examinations were post- action will be taken accord-
alleged that while serving as attacked Bharatiya Janata Party bivli incident is serious... With- that had the girl complained ear- party worker in the BJP corpora- urday and Sunday to fill up poned owing to the incompe- ingly, Tope told reporters on
the Maharashtra home minis- (BJP) for politicising the rape out worrying about the pressure lier the picture would have been tor’s office in Borivli. In this case, vacant positions for nurses, tence of the firm — Nyasa Com- Saturday.
ter, Deshmukh misused his cases to gain political mileage that the accused are from the different. “The Dombivli victim all the BJP leaders are keeping technicians, ward boys among munications Private Limited Former chief minister and
position, and through sus- and termed such politics as dis- powerful background and have was subjected to the perverse quiet. It shows their double stan- others that fall under Class ‘C’ (NCPL) — which failed to com- leader of Opposition Devendra
pended assistant police inspec- gusting. strong political connections, the exploitation for nearly eight dards,” remarked the editorial. and ‘D’ categories. However, plete the preparations till Fri- Fadnavis demanded action
tor Sachin Vaze collected ₹4.7 “When the rape cases come to police immediately arrested the months by 32 people. The sexual As a policy, Maharashtra unit of they were cancelled on late Fri- day evening. I also personally against the guilty. He said that
crore from Mumbai’s bars for the fore, the political parties accused. Why is the Opposition exploitation started from her the BJP does not comment on day evening, which led to visited a school (exam centre) the students are very upset
their “smooth functioning”. make an issue out of it to gain party (BJP) turning a blind eye acquaintance and the girl Saamana editorials. aggrieved reactions. at Selu in Parbhani district to with the mess created over
State health minister Rajesh review exam preparations and examinations. “During his
Tope blamed the firm which found that seating arrange- social media interaction on
had been outsourced the work ments were made for 600 to Facebook, the health minister
Kapil Sharma cheating Drop in number of commuters for failing to complete the
preparations well in time. He
apologised to the students and
700 applicants, where 1,000
applicants were expected to
appear from there.”
clearly said that exams will be
conducted on Saturday. Fol-
lowing this, students (staying
case: Chhabria’s son held using fake ids in local trains said that the next schedule for
examinations will be declared
“The firm told us they won’t
be able to complete the prepa-
far off from exam centres) left
their homes to appear for
Manish K Pathak in the coming days. He also rations and applicants will examinations that were sud-
HT Correspondent many citizens have completed promised action against the have to face difficulties during denly cancelled on Friday even-
[email protected]
their second vaccination dose 10-hr block on CR firm after conducting a probe. examinations. After discussing ing. I am unable to understand
[email protected]
MUMBAI: The criminal intelli- and 14 days period. mainline on Sun The exercise for filling up the issue with chief minister the functioning of this govern-
gence unit (CIU) of the Mumbai MUMBAI: After local train servi- “We witnessed the decrease in the vacant positions was Uddhav Thackeray and deputy ment. It also cannot shrug off
crime branch has arrested car ces resumed for fully vaccinated August as well when train servi- Aroosa Ahmed started as part of the state’s chief minister Ajit Pawar, we its responsibility in the name of
designer Dilip Chhabria’s son passengers in August, there is a ces resumed for the general pub- [email protected] preparations for the potential decided to postpone exams for an outsourced firm,” Fadnavis
Bonito in connection with the drop in the number of people lic, but in September the number third wave that may hit by a few days as there were many told reporters.
cheating case registered by using fake identity cards of has gone down significantly. We MUMBAI: Passengers December or January. discrepancies in the seating Pravin Darekar, leader of
comedian Kapil Sharma in Janu- Kapil Sharma. essential workers to travel by appeal to passengers to com- travelling on the Central Nearly 800,000 applicants arrangement, training of invigi- Opposition in the legislative
ary this year. local trains. mute only through valid tickets Railways (CR) mainline have enrolled for the recruit- lators among others. I want to council alleged the state health
A senior crime branch officer Designs Private Limited for In June, 1,191 people were and have their vaccination cer- on Sunday will have to ment examinations for filling apologize to all those who had department changed tender
said, “Bonito was arrested designing a vanity van for him detained for travelling using fake tificates with them to produce face inconvenience as up 6,205 vacant posts for Class to face hardship due to the conditions to ensure NCPL is
around 10:45pm on Friday from between May 2017 and May 2018. essential workers identity cards. during inspections,” said a sen- nearly 90 suburban train C and D categories. The vacant decision,” Tope said. appointed. “It is a major scam,
MIDC area in Andheri (East).” The firm, however, did not Around 533 passengers were ior Central Railway official. services will be can- posts under Class C category NCPL is part of a list of which got exposed. All those
“We have registered a first deliver the van. When he detained in August, while 240 Local train services resumed celled. comprise staff nurses, auxiliary empanelled firms prepared by responsible for it such as
information report (FIR) against approached Chhabria in July passengers were detained in for fully vaccinated passengers The Central Railway nursing midwives, pharma- the state information technol- health minister, health secre-
Dilip Chhabria, his son Bonito 2018, he demanded ₹40 lakh September for travelling using on August 15. Passengers have to will operate a block for cists, laboratory technicians, ogy (IT) department. As per the tary, director, IT minister, min-
and others in January after towards GST and Sharma had fake essential workers identity register themselves by showing 10 hours between Kalva X-Ray technicians, laboratory procedure, the departments ister of state and IT secretary
Sharma alleged that Chhabria paid the said amount. Chhabria cards. their vaccination certificate and Mumbra railway assistants and others while will have to select the firms should be investigated by
had allegedly cheated him of then promised to deliver the van According to railway authori- through the online or offline sys- sections between 8am Class D category posts include from the empanelled list of either CBI (Central Bureau of
V5.3 crore,” said the officer. but asked for ₹60 lakh. Sharma ties, there is a reduction in the tem at the suburban railway sta- and 6pm on the slow ward boys, sweepers and other firms for holding recruitment Investigation), CID (crime intel-
Sharma claimed that he had then approached National Com- number of people trying to com- tions. After verification, the pas- railway lines. supporting staff, the officials examinations. ligence department) or retired
paid ₹5.3 crore to Dilip Chhabria pany Law Tribunal (NCLT). mute with fake identity cards as sengers can get their pass. said. The health minister clarified justice,” Darekar demanded.

‘WHO’s model for measuring emissions incorrect; may need to revise guidelines for cookstoves’
Priyanka Sahoo JHU, estimated the air exchange Fine particulate matter, source. However, spatial moni- in lower estimates of the air ues <1. The findings of the
[email protected]
rates determined from real-time known as PM 2.5, is an air pollu- How emissions are currently measured toring of kitchen indoor environ- exchange rates through the resi- present study indicate that the
measurements of PM2.5 concen- tant suspended in the air that is One compartment model or ments air indicates that concen- dence, and these lower values, in two-compartment model is a
MUMBAI: The World Health trations in kitchens and living released from burning of bio- well-mixed room model is WHAT THIS STUDY USES: tration is higher near the cook- turn, result in very different val- better representation of concen-
Organisation (WHO) may need room areas in residences in rural mass fuels. When present in where the indoor environ- The two-compartment model is also stove source than at distant ues for the required emission trations of pollutants emitted by
to revise its cookstove-based Bangladesh. The findings, which high levels in the air, PM2.5 can ment is a homogeneous known as the near field far-field model points in the kitchen or other rates of fine particles from bio- cookstoves near source and
guidelines for emissions from are also relevant to rural India, be very harmful to human single mixed zone. Most (NF:FF). As opposed to the single zone rooms. While it is common to mass-based cookstoves. leads to better estimates of air
biomass fuels as the existing have been published in the health. “The air exchange rate studies have estimated air model with a WMR assumption, NF-FF use a WMR model for estimation A one-compartment model or exchange rates than one-com-
model for measuring emissions December 2021 volume of the (AER), or the rate at which out- exchange rates using this conceptually divides indoor space into of ACH in rural households, this well-mixed room model is where partment model,” Das added.
can overestimate the same, peer-reviewed journal Building door air replaces indoor air is a model in rural households. 2 zones — kitchen and living room. assumption is only valid for con- the indoor environment is a Ankit Gupta, senior scientist,
according to a new study by and Environment. critical parameter for evaluating ditions in rooms that are far homogeneous single mixed National Environmental Engi-
researchers from Johns Hopkins Household air pollution the quality of ventilation in an away from the cookstove source zone. As opposed to the single neering Research Institute,
University (JHU), USA. impacts approximately 41% of environment,” said Darpan Das, μg/m, based on air exchange referred to as the well-mixed (e.g., living rooms) and not nec- zone model with a WMR Mumbai, who was not a part of
This means that the Bureau of the global population, according a post-doctoral fellow at JHU rates. For decades, the measure- room (WMR) model of a room of essarily for the kitchen, espe- assumption, the two-compart- the study, said, “ The individuals’
Indian Standards (BIS) may also to multiple researchers. WHO and the first author of the paper ment for estimates of air a certain volume, through which cially very close to the cook- ment model used by the exposure depends upon AER,
need to revise its methodology to estimates that 4.3 million people titled ‘Estimating residential air exchange rates from PM2.5 the ventilation airflow rate is stove,” said Das, who has joined researchers in the study concep- which is being used to arrive at
estimate the emission rates nec- die every year from exposure to exchange rates in rural Bangla- emissions and concentrations constant. as a scientist at WHO collaborat- tually divides the indoor space disability-adjusted life years
essary for standardising indoor air pollution, with 1.7 mil- desh using a near field-far field have been done on the assump- “The WMR model assumes a ing centre for occupational into two zones — kitchen and liv- (DALYs) and health burdens in
improved cookstoves. lion of these deaths occurring in model’. tion of a one-compartment uniform concentration through- health, in Edinburgh, Scotland. ing room. “The air exchange rate developing countries. It is right
In a recent paper, researchers the South-East Asian region. In 2014, WHO issued guide- model. Such a model assumes out the room. It gives a reasona- In this paper, the researcher estimated using a one-compart- time that we generate the right
at Bloomberg School of Public Emissions from cookstoves are lines had recommended an that the indoor environment is a ble estimate of exposure inten- shows that the situation is better ment model is very high and >20, data sets resulting in a model for
Health, department of environ- significant contributors to annual average indoor air qual- homogenous, instantaneously sity for individuals who are not represented by a two-compart- whereas a two-compartment effective decision making on
mental health and engineering, indoor air pollution. ity concentration of below 35 mixed zone. This model is positioned close to the emission ment model. This change results model yields more realistic val- rural kitchen interventions.”
MUMBAI
SUNDAY
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 News 03
A
l
Two held for
stealing gold
Lepto killed more people in city ‘Building up of
resilience is a
than malaria, dengue in 6 years
worth ₹96L
The Mumbai crime
branch unit-3 officials
on Friday arrested two
must at all levels‘
persons for allegedly
stealing 2.79kg gold HT Correspondent The two-day conference
ornaments worth Rs 96 Jyoti Shelar this year. In 2020, the depart- organised by the Indian Associ-
[email protected]
lakhs from the office of
a minority community’s
trust. HTC
[email protected]

MUMBAI : Leptospirosis — a bac-

What is leptospirosis? ment had recorded 43 leptospi-
rosis cases in all. This year, the
number has touched 62, three
MUMBAI: When two people
suffer from the same kind of
ation of Private Psychiatry
(IAPP) and Safe Space con-
cludes on Sunday.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease transmitted to
terial disease that spreads DEATHS DUE TO LEPTOSPIROSIS, DENGUE months before the year-end. The trauma, how does one cope President of IAPP Dr Anu-
humans through the urine of infected animals such
Nigerian arrested through the urine of infected as rats, cattle, dogs among others. While many AND MALARIA IN MUMBAI department has also recorded with it faster and in a better kant Mittal highlighted the
animals such as rats and cattle — six leptospirosis deaths among way than the other? The reason strong connection between
with cocaine has emerged as the biggest killer
animals can serve as the host for leptospirosis Leptospirosis Dengue Malaria children this year. is resilience. The importance of trauma, addiction and suicides.
spreading bacteria, researchers have found that a
worth ₹39L among monsoon diseases. Data type of rat (rattus norvegicus) is the most common 12 “The children that we lost resilience-building was dis- “People are finding newer
The anti-narcotics cell gathered from the civic body source of the infection 2018 14 were all brought in extremely cussed in an online conference methods to seek solace and
(Worli unit) officials shows that 70 people have suc-
The bacteria can infect humans through cuts,
3 late to the hospital,” said Dr on Saturday where national seek escape from this world.
have arrested a 60-year- cumbed due to leptospirosis Radha Gulati Ghildiyal, head of and international experts dis- This is worrying,” he said
abrasions, unhealed wounds, mainly on the foot, 2019 11
old Nigerian national over the past six years. In com- the paediatrics department at sected the link between expressing concern about sui-
on Friday night and parison, dengue, a mosquito-
when they wade through contaminated water. 3 the LTMG hospital. “Majority of trauma, addiction and suicides. cides among the youth as well
seized 130g of cocaine borne disease, has killed 55 peo- 8 them developed acute respira- “Resilience is the core aspect as the geriatric population.
worth ₹39 lakh from ple and malaria has killed 38 SYMPTOMS: Fever, chills, body ache and vomiting 2020 tory distress syndrome and had that helps one recover from According to Mittal, the Cov-
3
him. HTC people during the same period. TREATMENT: A prophylactic course of doxycycline 1 a history of wading through trauma of any kind,” said sen- id-19 pandemic has also wor-
The leptospirosis infection is within 24 to 48 hours of exposure to water can help in water,” she said. ior psychiatrist Dr Avinash De sened the scenario further,
caused by bacteria leptospira
2021* 4 The civic data, however, has Sousa who spoke at the event. with many papers talking
Man arrested for curbing leptospirosis cases. 19 Sep 3
that can enter the human body counted only four leptospirosis “Resilience building should be about the increase in suicides
making hoax call through cuts, abrasions or open deaths in Mumbai this year so done at all levels — for healthy or the attempts among health-
during Ganpati wounds. The cases of leptospiro- number of patients could be treated around 40 patients with sali said that leptospirosis also far. The other deaths are cur- individuals, for someone who care workers and mortuary
The crime intelligence sis are typically seen during treated in private hospitals and leptospirosis. becomes fatal in cases where rently under the review of the is experiencing trauma and staff who have been constantly
unit of the Mumbai monsoon and after flooding on an outpatient department Once confirmed with the patients have extremely low death committee. those who are already dabbling exposed to the trauma of seeing
crime branch has events, when people are forced basis as well. infection, patients are treated platelet count, which puts them Hindustan Times had sought with psychiatric problems,” he a large number of deaths.
nabbed a man, Mustafa to wade through water. How- “Mortality in leptospirosis is with the antibiotic drug doxycy- at the risk of bleeding. “Due to 10-year data on monsoon related said, emphasising the ways to “We need more people and
Shabir Ali Shaikh, who ever, doctors say that a few spo- generally seen when patients cline. The civic body also advises Covid, patients are seeking medi- diseases however the civic body build resilience, which include personalities to talk about their
had made a phone call radic cases are reported seek medical advice very late,” taking the drug as a prophylactic cal help as soon as they develop said that the data between 2011 social support, optimism, self- plight, about how they were
to the Mumbai Police throughout the year from areas said Dr Wiqar Shaikh, professor if someone has waded through symptoms like fever. It has and 2014 was currently unavaila- belief, emotional awareness close to ending everything and
control room during with overflowing sewers, water of medicine at the state-run JJ floodwater. “But there is abso- helped in early diagnosis of ble. Data collated from previous and a sense of humour. what helped them cope,” he
Ganeshotsav on accumulation, and a general lack Hospital. “One of the severe lutely no awareness about it other diseases like leptospirosis,” reports show that Mumbai had According to De Sousa, resil- said adding that we should be
September 16 and of cleanliness. impacts of leptospirosis is swell- among the people,” said Shaikh. he said. Bhansali has seen four recorded 135 cases of leptospiro- ience is a fairly new concept signalled when anyone shows
threatened a bomb Since 2015, the city has ing in the liver, which may “Many patients who come to us cases of leptospirosis this mon- sis in 2010, 141 in 2011 and 151 in that has been talked about for the signs of hopelessness, help-
blast. Crime branch has recorded 1,576 cases of leptospi- worsen in cases of late diagnosis. have no clue about what lepto- soon season. The pediatric 2012. The city had recorded 18, the past decade. He cited one lessness and worthlessness and
handed over Shaikh to rosis, according to civic data. Also, patients with existing spirosis is. There is a dire need department of civic-run LTMG six and two deaths due to bacte- definition of resilience as the make an intervention by start-
the Azad Maidan police However, this data captures comorbidities can have a severe for awareness in the communi- Hospital in Sion which caters to rial infection respectively. capacity of the system to toler- ing a conversation.
station . HTC patients who were admitted only impact,” he said adding that ties,” he said. people from Dharavi and nearby Cumulative data for 2013 and ate disturbance without col- Saturday’s conference also
in the civic-run hospitals. A large since June this year, he has Physician Dr Gautam Bhan- areas has seen a spurt in cases 2014 was not available. lapsing, to withstand shock and saw equal rights activist
to rebuild itself when neces- Sheetal Bhan talking about her
sary. He also cited the Mumbai personal story and the journey
train blasts in 2006 as an exam- towards healing. She high-

Refusal to marry no grounds for rape, states HC NCB arrests brother of ple of resilience. “The people in
the city were back in the local
trains the next day. It was a
lighted the importance of ther-
apy and how psychiatrists
should be more open about
Kanchan Chaudhari THE MAN MOVED
THE HIGH COURT
[email protected]
Rampal’s girlfriend
“However, later he changed
his mind and decided not to
marry her. Merely because he
the rape charge.
The prosecution maintained
the woman’s consent was
good example of community
resilience,” he said.
referring to therapy before
starting medication.

MUMBAI: The Bombay high resiled from his promise to FOR QUASHING obtained under the false promise Vijay Kumar Yadav units are jointly carrying out
court’s Aurangabad bench has marry, no offence punishable THE CASE, of marriage and since the begin- aggressive operations in Goa

Police officer held for

[email protected]
quashed a rape case against a under Section 376 of the IPC ning, the applicant had no inten- for last two days. “During the
33-year-old man saying he can- (Indian Penal Code) in the facts
CONTENDING THAT tion to marry her. The court MUMBAI: The Mumbai unit of drive, the NCB made three
not be prosecuted for changing of the present case is made out THE PHYSICAL accepted the stand of the the Narcotics Control Bureau NDPS cases, involving different
his mind after a long relation-
ship and refusing to marry a
woman he was in a relationship
against the applicant.”
According to the 30-year-old
woman’s complaint in the case,
RELATIONSHIP WAS
CONSENSUAL
accused. It said the statements of
the woman’s relatives showed
the man intended to marry her.
(NCB), along with their Goa
counterparts, arrested Agisi-
laos Demetriades, brother of
drugs like charas, LSD, MDMA/
ecstasy and arrested four ped-
dlers. Agisilaos’s arrest is in
accepting ₹6L bribe
with. the two had physical relations. “However, later he changed his Bollywood actor Arjun Ram- connection with one of the MUMBAI: The anti-corruption Puranik, 45, was posted in the
“From the narration in the She said the man on multiple plainant physically and mentally mind,” said the bench. “Consid- pal’s girlfriend, in a drugs case. three cases. Small quantity of bureau (ACB) has arrested a property cell of the crime
FIR (First Information Report) occasions promised to marry under the false promise of mar- ering these aspects, it cannot be The agency has seized small Hashish (charas) has been Mumbai crime branch officer branch. The unit recently
and the material collected dur- her. She said her relatives riage. said the applicant had given a quantity of charas from him, found from his house in Per- for allegedly accepting ₹6 lakh seized illegal arms and its
ing the course of the investiga- approached the man with a mar- The man moved the high false promise of marriage to the which was meant for personal nem, north Goa, on Friday. He bribe from a woman to not take investigation led the officers to
tion, it is clear that the applicant riage proposal but were asked to court for quashing the case, con- victim and obtained her consent consumption. A local court was produced in a local court legal action against her hus- a car theft incident. Names of
had genuine desire to marry the wait due to the Covid pandemic. tending that the physical rela- for establishing physical rela- sent him to judicial custody, that remanded him to 14-days band and his friend in an arms two Navi Mumbai residents
victim,” said a division bench of They last year registered the tionship was consensual. He said tions... It appears that the con- the agency said on Saturday. judicial custody,” said Sameer seizure and car theft case. The emerged as suspects in the
justices Sunil Deshmukh and rape against the 33-year-old for his subsequent refusal to marry sensual physical relations were The central anti-narcotics Wankhede, zonal director, NCB arrested officer, assistant investigation of car theft mat-
Nitin Suryavanshi. allegedly exploiting the com- the woman was no ground for the outcome of their love affair.” agency’s Mumbai and Goa Mumbai. police inspector Nagesh ter. HTC
04 News SEPTEMBER 26, 2021
MUMBAI
SUNDAY

MAN ARRESTED { THE CROSSWORDS }

FOR RAPING
CRYPTIC CLUES PUZZLE 16003
WOMAN IN Across
©Gemini Crosswords 2018 All rights reserved

CHEMBUR 1 Proverbially hard on one’s toes? (5)

MUMBAI: The Chembur police 8 What dogs like with food is fertiliser (4,4)
have arrested a 24-year-old 9 Inclined to be flat? (5)
man for allegedly raping a
20-year-old woman in Chem- 10 Insisted upon or abandoned? (4,4)
bur by threatening to attack 11 Suffer harm in a way (5)
her with a iron rod. 12 An expert provides fast service (3)
The woman had gone to 16 The last part of Iran converted into oil (6)
Marine Drive along with her
friend late Friday night and 17 Telephone call about an account for betting? (6)
returned to Chembur at around 18 Is it sharper if pricked? (3)
3am on Saturday. The accused, 23 I buy and sell to perfection (5)
Dhiraj Singh, stopped the two 24 Command a slave to serve one first (8)
and took out an iron rod to
attack them. “After her friend 25 Start being different (5)
escaped, Singh threatened to 26 Hearty communications (8)
attack the woman and allegedly 27 It has wings and flies (5)
molested and raped her in a QUICK CLUES
lane opposite National Sarvo- Down
Across Down
day high school. The woman 2 Bitterness shown by Army CO in trouble (8)
1 To conduct (5) 2 Top act on bill (4,4)
immediately lodged a com- 3 Bird to settle on a perch, perhaps? (8)
plaint, following which dedi- 8 Regimental flag (8) 3 Permanent (8)
4 Patchy picture of a lawgiver (6)
cated teams of cop launched a 9 Fop (5) 4 Layers (6)
manhunt for the accused and 5 Prompt about going on day shift (5) 10 Liable to error (8) 5 Point of view (5)
Singh was arrested soon,” said 6 Determined to put up the cash (3,2) 11 Sharply delineated (5) 6 Venomous African snake (5)
Amar Desai, assistant police 7 Many fish stick together (5)
commissioner, Chembur divi- 12 Inexperienced (3) 7 Indolent person (5)
12 Took down a note (3) 16 Sultanate in Borneo (6) 12 Poke fun at (3)
sion. HTC
13 Some of the newer recruits go astray (3) 17 A charm against evil (6) 13 Method (3)
Rape accused held 14 Dictates one way to prove gold genuine (4,4) 18 Lad (3) 14 Start to run away (4,4)
A 24-year-old man. Suraj Sar- 15 Taking on the enemy (8) 23 Retract (5) 15 Achieve success (3,5)
sad, was arrested by Nallaso-
para police from Anand Nagar, 19 Trouble with a colour that’s much admired (6) 24 Partial (3-5) 19 Dish made with eggs (6)
Thane, where he was hiding 20 He was ruined by Gerda (5) 25 Warily secretive (5) 20 Amiably eccentric (5)
since January 2021 after he 21 Strike at the wrong times (5) 26 Hypocritical (3-5) 21 King of Judaea 37-4BC (5)
allegedly raped a 16-year-old. 22 A record that’s not way out? (5) 27 Clearing in a wood (5) 22 Competing (5)
RAM PARMAR

SOLUTIONS FOR 16002

Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women Cryptic Quick
(Established by Govt. of Delhi vide Act 09 of 2012)
Kashmere Gate, Delhi-110006
Advertisement No.: IGDTUW/IRD/2021/02
Appointment of Research Associates and Technical Assistant
Applications are invited from the Indian Nationals for Project Appointment under the Project
“Centre of Excellence – Artificial Intelligence”. Appointment shall be on contractual basis
initially for one year and may be renewed up to the maximum duration of the Project.
Project Centre of Excellence – Artificial Intelligence
Funding Agency Department of Science and Technology (DST), GOI
Post Research Associate-I (02) Technical Assistant (01)
Emoluments Rs. 47,000/- + HRA per month Consolidated Rs. 22000/- per month
Qualifications 3 years of Research/Teaching/ BTech in CSE/IT/ECE or equivalent/MCA.
Design and Development OR
{ WEATHER } ALMANAC TEMPERATURE IN
experience after MTech in 3 years Diploma with minimum 3 years of Today is 26th FOUR METROS
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with at least one research l18 Safar 1443 Delhi
Ashwina, Krishna
paper in SCI Journal.
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OR SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY
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Sunset: Sunday
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DIP/Shabdarth/0329/21-22
MUMBAI
SUNDAY
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 News 05
{ } tice delivery system, lamenting
that even after 74 years of inde-
KAPIL PATIL SAVED STATE CZMP TO BE
REFORM... MY LIFE WHEN I FINALISED BY OCT

A TWTW
pendence, traditional and agrar-
exercise has come to fore. The ian societies that have been fol- MUMBAI: Union minister for
top court had on September 7 lowing customary ways of life, WAS IN JAIL, SAYS environment Bhupender Yadav
and 15 lashed out at the Centre
for re-enacting the very same
still feel hesitant to approach the
courts. “The practices, proce-
BHUJBAL assured former chief minister
and BJP leader Devendra Fad-
provisions for the administra- dures, language and everything MUMBAI: State food and civil navis that the process to finalise
THE WEEK THAT WAS tion of tribunals that were struck of our courts feels alien to them. supplies minister Chhagan Bhuj- the Coastal Zone Management
down by the court in July. It had Between the complex language bal on Saturday said that MLC Plan (CZMP) will be completed
commented that the Union gov- of the acts and the process of jus- Kapil Patil saved his life when he by October. State environment

Was this news to you too? ernment has “no respect” for the
judgments of the top court and is
“bent upon not honouring” the
orders of the SC. Similarly, the
tice delivery, the common man
seems to lose control over the
fate of his grievance. Often in
this trajectory, the justice seeker
was in jail on money laundering
charges. He said, “When I was in
prison, Patil was the one who
raised the issue of my deteriorat-
minister Aaditya Thackeray had
written to union environment
minister in January. ‘’On CZMP
final notification, he assured
Centre had in August 2018 feels like an outsider to the sys- ing health condition in the legis- that process will be completed
Spy phones, leaked texts, mystery illnesses and white knights of a different kind. Our Rachel brought a constitutional amend- tem,” he said. Ramana called it a lative council of the state legisla- by October. This plan will pave
quiz tracks a crazy week of events. How many of the clues below can you unravel? Lopez ment to negate the Supreme “harsh reality” that often the ture. Soon after, Pawar saheb a way for development in the
Court ruling that had come in legal system fails to take into (NCP chief Sharad Pawar) wrote MMR region including CIDCO
March that year that apparently consideration the social realities a letter (to the then chief minis- projects. On final notification
diluted the rigours of the SC/ST and implications and the system ter Devendra Fadnavis) and for Flamingo Sanctuary bound-
(Prevention of Atrocities) Act. is designed in such a way that by warned saying if anything hap- ary, demarcation steps will be
Meanwhile, at the event, the CJI the time all the facts and law are pened to him (Chhagan Bhuj- taken up with Law & Judiciary
also talked about the hurdles for churned in the court of law, bal), the state government will Department within 15 days,’’
a common man to access the jus- much gets lost in the process. be held responsible.” HTC Fadnavis tweeted. HTC

That’s not a
drone.
Union
Minister 1 The future is here. Chennai firm, Vinanta
Aeromobility is developing hybrid, biogas-
fuelled two-seater vehicles which have a 60-
minute use time, go 120kmph, and have a 100 km
who won for Movie/Limited Writing, dedicated
her award to survivors of sexual assault. Name
her pathbreaking TV series.

6
Jyotiradity range. But what puts them literally above other Some 3,000 kilos of heroin, disguised as talc
a Scindia is cars in Asia? powder and worth ₹21,000 crore, were seized
looking at a from Gujarat’s Mundra port last week. They

2
concept Private texts between Elizabeth Holmes and her were imported by a Chennai firm via Iran. But
model of partner, Sunny Balwani, which were released as from which country did they originate?
what new part of her trial for fraud this week, were

7
vehicle? PTI meant to be incriminating. Instead, This tiny European country has advised its
they’re just cringey, tiger. Name the citizens to dump Chinese smartphones. Their
blood-testing startup she launched, defense ministry has warned that the Xiaomi 5G
which turned out to be a scam. model has built-in censorship tools, and another
Huawei model could be vulnerable to cyber

3
Aaya naya ujaala! A professor at the attack. Which country?
American university, Purdue, has

8
created the whitest-ever white pigment. Since 2016, American and Canadian embassy
Paint building exteriors with it, he staff returning from abroad have reported
says, and it will reflect solar feeling ill after hearing strange sounds and
radiation back into space. It makes experiencing odd sensations. Last month, a CIA
which expensive cooling machine officer said he experienced them after a trip to
redundant? India. Name the syndrome – perhaps sing
Camilla Cabello’s 2018 hit, ooh-na-na, for
The house always wins. Telangana, inspiration.

4 Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh

have all banned this type of game,
fearing that young users might
get addicted. Now, Karnataka,
has proposed a ban on them 9
In Candolim, Goa, an unusual museum has
opened. All About Alcohol is a
sprawling five-room space dedicated
to the history, techniques, trade and
too, making online accoutrements involved in the
developers jittery. What brewing of this fiery four-letter
kind of games? local favourite. What?

10
At the Emmy’s, when Congress MLA Charanjit Singh

5 Hannah Waddingham
won best Comedy
Supporting Actress for
Ted Lasso, she
screamed “Jesus
Name Michaela
Coel’s TV show.
Channi is the 16th chief minister of
Punjab. But he’s the first X to head the state.
Only seven other Xs have been CM, most
famously Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh four
times. What is X?
Christ on a bike!”.
But Michaela Coel,
Answers on page 6

{ } ton DC.
Modi did not respond to
they are also the lifeline of inter-
national trade, the world “must
NATIONS... charges and allegations leveled protect them from the race for
ating a theme that he called a by Pakistan’s Prime Minister expansion and exclusion”.
“crisis of confidence” in 2020. Imran Khan in his speech to the “The international commu-
He said several questions are UN general assembly on Friday, nity must speak in one voice to
being raised about the UN and when the Indian leader was in strengthen a rule based world
other global institutions, and Washington. order,” he added. Modi did not
mentioned specifically the issue Khan railed against India, name any country, but Chinese
of the origin of the Covid-19 epi- alleging, among other things, a aggression in the region
demic, which the World Health “reign of terror” against Mus- appeared to be the subject of his
Organization is widely held to lims. appeal and warning.
have bungled under pressure In an official response, Sneha
from the Chinese, and the ease Dubey, a first secretary at the
of Doing Business ranking, Indian mission to UN, dismissed
which has been suspended by
the World Bank over data irreg-
Khan’s remarks, saying Paki-
stan was “an arsonist disguising
ACTOR APOLOGISES
ularities. itself as a firefighter”. FOR REMARKS ON
An investigation has revealed On Afghanistan, the Indian
that World Bank employees PM said that it was “absolutely RAHUL GANDHI
changed their data to boost essential to ensure that Afghan- MUMBAI: Actor Tanuj Virwani
China’s ranking in the 2018 and istan’s territory is not used to on Saturday apologised for a
2020 “Doing Business” report. spread terrorism, and for ter- comment he made on former
Saturday’s speech was Modi’s rorist attacks”. Congress president Rahul Gan-
fourth at the UN general assem- He added once again without dhi during an interview. He
bly and came after successful naming any country but point- apologised for his remarks after
bilateral meetings with US Pres- ing to Pakistan: “We also need to meeting Mumbai Congress chief
ident Joe Biden and Vice Presi- be alert and ensure that no Bhai Jagtap and Congress leader
dent Kamala Harris, Australia’s country tries to take advantage Suraj Thakur. Virwani said it
Scott Morrison and Japan’s of the delicate situation there, was a stupid mistake and he has
Yoshihide Suga in Washington and use it as a tool for its own no vendetta against any political
DC. selfish interests”. Pakistan has party. “Two months ago in an
He also participated in a his- made no secret of its continued interview, I gave stupid answer
toric first in-person summit of support for the Taliban and has to one of the questions. I imme-
the Quad group of countries openly flaunted its influence on diately realised my mistake but
that are focused on protecting the new dispensation in Kabul. did nothing as no one took any
the Indo-Pacific from Chinese Modi called upon the world objection and I was also busy
expansionism. community to extend help to with my work. Today, I want to
Without naming Pakistan, the people of Afghanistan to apologise for the mistake before
the Prime Minister said there ensure, among other things, the Suraj Thakur and Bhai Jagtap. I
are “countries with regressive rights of women, children and did not have any vendetta
thinking that are using terror- the minorities are protected. against any political party.
ism as a political tool; these “We must fulfil our duty by pro- Sometimes, we make a mistake
countries must understand that viding them with this help,” he while trying to be humorous. I
terrorism is an equally big said. had no intention to disrespect
threat for them”. Reminding the assembly that as whatever Congress has done
Pakistan’s continued support the oceans are a shared heri- for the country is truly remarka-
of terrorism also came up for tage, Modi said that “we must ble,” said Virwani. The video
discussion at Modi’s bilateral only use ocean resources and was uploaded by Jagtap on his
and Quad meetings in Washing- not abuse them”. And because Twitter handle on Saturday.
06 News SEPTEMBER 26, 2021
MUMBAI
SUNDAY

IYF¹FFÊ»F¹F ¸Fb£¹F Ad·F¹F³°FF, ªF»F ÀFaÀFF²F³F ÀF¸·FF¦F IYûMXF

::ÀFaVFû²F³F 2, BÊX-d³Fd½FQF ÀFc¨F³FF ÀFa£¹FF 02 ½F¿FÊ 2021-22::
BXÀF IYF¹FFÊ»F¹F IZY ´FÂFFaIY 8712 dQ0 16.08.2021 ÀFZ BÊX-d³Fd½FQF ÀFc¨F³FF ÀFa. 02 ½F¿FÊ 2021-22, ªFû 2 d³F¸FFʯF { } vaccination drives. For this rea-
son, the BMC has also decided to
from which total of 39 inmates
tested positive. The inmates have
of the accused. The survivor has
said that after this instance, she
IYF¹FûË IZY d»F¹FZ AF¸FadÂF°F IYe ¦FBÊX W`XaÜ d³Fd½FQF dQ. 18.08.2021 ÀFZ dQ. 22.09.2021 IYû ÀF¸F¹F 18.00 ¶FªFZ °FIY
OXFCX³F»FûOX/A´F»FûOX IYSX³FZ ½F dQ. 23.09.2021 IYû ÀFF¹Fa 16.00 ¶FªFZ °FIY³FeIYe d¶FOX £Fû»Fe ªFF³Fe d³F²FFÊdSX°F ±FeÜ NO... hold a special all women vacci- been quarantined at Patanwala became so unwell that she had
A¶F BX³F Qû³FûÔ IYF¹FûË IYe d³Fd½FQF¹FZÔ dQ. 18.08.2021 ÀFZ dQ. 11.10.2021 °FIY ÀF¸F¹F 18.00 ¶FªFZ °FIY due to vaccination, and we have nation camp on Monday. Under municipal school in Mazgaon to be admitted to the hospital
OXFCX³F»FûOX/A´F»FûOX IYe ªFF ÀFIZÔY¦Fe E½Fa BÊX-¦FiFÀF ¨FF»FF³F AFdQ ÀF¸FÀ°F QÀ°FF½FZªF dQ. 12.10.2021 IYû ÀF¸F¹F to lift restrictions so normal life this plan, all female teachers can area which has especially been and given a saline drip.
14.00 ¶FªFZ °FIY BXÀF IYF¹FFÊ»F¹F ¸FZÔ E½Fa A²FeÃF¯F Ad·F¹Fa°FF, ªF»F ÀFaÀFF²F³F ½FÈØF, ¶FFSXûÔ IYF¹FFÊ»F¹F ¸FaZ ªF¸FF IYSXF¹FZ ªFFEa¦FZÜ can begin. At the same time, we also go to any public vaccination taken over as a Covid care centre The police have obtained
°FIY³FeIYe d¶FOX dQ0 12.10.2021 IYû ÀF¸F¹F 16.00 ¶FªFZ ÀFZ AFG³F»FFBX³F £Fû»Fe ªFF¹FZ¦FeÜ Vû¿F VF°FZË ¹F±FF½F°F SXWZXa¦FeÜ have to be careful and follow centre and get vaccinated for by the authorities. details of all the members of the
DIPR RO No 8257
UBN (1) WRD2122WLOB00710, UBN (1) WRD2122WLOB00711 Covid-19 appropriate behaviour. free. Further, one of the inmates WhatsApp group in question.
(SXFªFe½F ¨Fü²FSXe), ¸Fb£¹F Ad·F¹Fa°FF No decision on reopening of This will be followed by vacci- also included a pregnant woman They will be making inquiries
Dipr/c/9600/2021 ªF»F ÀFaÀFF²F³F ÀF¸·FF¦F IYûMXFX schools, religious places and the- nation for those 18 years above who has been admitted to GT with other members of the
atres has been taken for Mumbai age students and teachers. On hospital as a precautionary group as well as the group
yet. A final call will be taken next Wednesday, a special drive is measure. A BMC official said, administrator to find out if any
week by the BMC.” being organised for those due for “We suspect that someone who of them, other than the accused,
Pednekar added, “Several fac- second dose. may have been admitted into the knew the survivor’s plight, peo-
tors will have to be kept in mind Meanwhile, the city reported jail recently may have brought in ple cited above said.
when we decide about reopening 455 cases and five deaths, taking the virus. The premises has been The officer said that the sur-
of schools since it involves safety the tally to 740,760 and toll to sealed by the authorities, and a vivor had refused to meet the
of children. We know that the 16,079. On Saturday, 40,911 tests definite source cannot be attrib- accused on this particular occa-
state government has taken were reported in the city, mean- uted in such scenarios.” Mean- sion because earlier in the same
careful decisions, but we will ing a daily positivity rate of 1.10%. while, in a similar incident a month, they had forcibly
take a final call about Mumbai The city’s recovery rate is 96% month ago, 22 children, includ- restrained her for nearly an
next week.” with 716,941 recoveries. The ing staff members, were tested entire day, leading to her par-
Civic officials said they will mortality rate is 2.17 and there positive at St Joseph’s School at ents filing a Missing Person’s
have to consider the impact of are 5,276 active cases. Agripada. This followed by Complaint.
festival season before taking the Dr Shashank Joshi, member around 18 children from Mank- “The survivor was finding it
decision. Mumbai is in the mid- of Maharashtra’s Covid-19 task- hurd Children’s Home testing increasingly difficult to come up
dle of festival season. The Gan- force, said, “As the second wave positive between August 25 and with convincing lies to explain
esh festival is just over, while has settled now there is system- 27. her frequent absences from
Navratri festival is coming early atic relaxations being given by home, and at the same time was
next month. Lots of people step the state government. We have terrified of the videos being
out for festivals. Mumbai has a realised that after Ganesh festi- DOMBIVLI... made public if she did not bow
significant number of people val, too, there has not been a of the accused posted her down to the demands of the
who went to their native places major spike yet. The situation obscene video on the group accused,” the officer said.
in Konkan and other parts of the looks good with our vaccination, when she refused to meet him Meanwhile, the survivor was
state for Ganpati festival. Some too, happening at a good pace in May this year. discharged from the govern-
of them could already be and based on these parameters, “Ever since they got access to ment hospital in Kalwa on Sat-
infected with Covid when they mindful unlocking is happen- the video recorded in January, urday.
return to the city. The crowds ing.” in which the main accused was The Thane police have pro-
that were seen at markets and Dr Joshi added, “We still have sexually assaulting the victim, vider her with police protection
some public places may have to follow Covid appropriate the accused had repeatedly as soon as she was discharged.
triggered spread of the epidemic. behaviour and have to follow the been calling the victim. They The protection has been pro-
As such, the civic officials will be strictly framed standard operat- would ask her to come to vari- vided in light of the fact that
monitoring the situation till the ing procedures (SOP)’s for mind- ous locations, where several of four of the accused are still at
first week of October. For past ful relaxation. For reopening of them would force themselves large.
few days, the daily caseload in school also, our paediatric task- on her. On May 16, one of them
Mumbai is between 400 and force have framed very strict called her up and made a simi-
500, while the current weekly
positivity rate is around 0.06%.
Both these factors will be consid-
SOP that has to be followed for
reopening of schools.”
In the Byculla jail case, assist-
lar demand. When she refused,
he posted her video and the
main accused on a WhatsApp
A TWTW THE WEEK THAT WAS
ered, while taking decision on ant municipal commissioner E group named ‘Friends’, of which
reopening of schools and places ward (under which Byculla the victim was also a member,” ANSWERS
of worship, they said. Meetings prison falls) Manish Walunju an officer with the Manpada 1. They are flying cars.
have already begun to decide on said that on September 17 the police said. 2. Theranos
the reopening of schools from local health post was informed The survivor has said in her 3. An air conditioner
classes 8th-10th. about multiple fever cases inside statement that action had the 4. Betting and wagering
Meanwhile, the civic body the jail. “It was then decided to desired effect and she agreed to for prize money
announced special drive to vac- hold a fever camp on September meet the accused. Subsequently, 5. I May Destroy You
cinate teachers before reopening 19 for the first time. We did a he picked her up from near her 6. Afghanistan
of schools. repeat camp later.” residence on his motorbike and 7. Lithuania
Pednekar said about 70% of According to BMC officials, took her to Rabale in Navi 8. Havana
the teachers have already been over 120 Covid tests were con- Mumbai, where she was alleg- 9. Feni
vaccinated. For the remaining ducted of all the inmates as well edly forced to drink alcohol and 10. Dalit
teachers, the BMC plans special the support staff in the premises was sexually assaulted by seven

Office of the Additional Chief Engineer

PHED, Region - Kota
Phone: 0744-2504614, Fax: 0744-02501551
Email: [email protected]
No. 7060 Dt. 17.09.2021
CORRIGENDUM NO. 02
UBN No. PHE2122WSOB06414
Following corrigendum is issued to the NIT No. 46/2021-22 of this office for the works of
the “Work of Conversion of hand Pump to Piped Scheme Village Theekariya PHED Sub div.
Anta to provided FHTC including one year defect liability period of SVS under JJM in the
jurisdiction of PHED Div Baran Distt. Baran” in technical criteria of Pre-Qualification bid.
S. Reference Existing Provision Amended Provision
No.
1. 4.4.1 Project Execution Execution and successful Execution and successful
or Contract of similar commissioning of one similar commissioning of one
nature work costing not less than similar work costing not
the amount equal to 20.44 less than the amount
lacs (15% of estimated equal to 20.44 lacs (15%
cost.) having at least two of estimated cost) having
component out of three at any one component
component - Namely Pipe out of two component
line, OHSR & Tube well. Namely Pipe line OHSR.
(Tube well stands
Deleted)
2. Availability of tender 19.09.2021 upto 1800 hrs. 30.09.2021 upto 1800
documents on Website Hrs.
3. Last Date & time for 19.09.2021 upto 1800 hrs. 30.09.2021 upto 1800
online submission of Hrs.
Tender
4. Date of opening of Pre- 20.09.2021 at 1100 hrs. 01.10.2021 at 1100 Hrs.
Qualification bid.
All other terms & conditions will remain unchanged.
(Mahesh Jangid)
Additional Chief Engineer
Dipr/c/6549/2021 PHED, Region - Kota

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SUNDAY
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 07
08 SEPTEMBER 26, 2021
MUMBAI
SUNDAY

Reflections
{ THE BIG PICTURE }

The rise of a genuine

counterweight to China
With four democracies, tied More important is that it reflects an estab- quering the commanding heights of technol-
lishment consensus among its four mem- ogy would define the 21st century. As a Joe
together because of specific bers. This was what hobbled it in the past Biden administration official noted, in Chi-
but common geopolitical and one of the main reasons India had been nese lore, the greatest generals are those who
wary of Quad investment. When it first arose defeat their enemy before meeting them in
interests, and an agenda from the froth of the 2007 tsunami, changes the battlefield.
of government saw Australia leave and the The US response to China today is a mix of
for the future, Quad has US and Japan lose interest. New Delhi found shrapnel and silicon. On the military side, it
left the runaway. India itself out on a limb, alone. has anchored the western Pacific with two
The past few years have seen a sea-change hardened triangles. It has crafted a joint
should be pleased in Quad sentiment. When liberal parties US-Japan commitment to defend Taiwan at
came to power in Japan and the US, they one end, and a nuclear naval agreement

A
s the Donald Trump adminis- tried the panda-hug, but were, in return, set Down Under at the other end. In between, it
tration was preparing to demit upon by wolf warriors. The last country to has renewed its visiting forces agreement,
office, United States (US) secre- turn was Australia, which faced stabilising its relations with the
tary of state Mike Pompeo was economic sanctions, direct political Philippines.
congratulated by a staffer for interference and open threats from Quad is much more about the Quad is much more about the long game. It brings together most of the biggest (ex-China) powers of Asia, covers the breadth of the
reviving Quad. He reportedly Beijing over the past few years. It long game. It brings together most Indo-Pacific, and seeks to show that whatever autocracies can do, multiparty governments can do better ANI
laughed and said, “And 80% of that was helped that the much-feared Chi- of the biggest (ex-China) powers of
thanks to China.” Xi Jinping should be nese trade sanctions proved more Asia, covers the breadth of the Indo- playing a different game from the one the ery when it underscored “our dedication opportunity for India to make a quantum
declared the founder of Quad. Quad’s evolu- bark than bite. In the Indian assess-
tion from an acronym without purpose to ment, Australia, the only Quad
Pramit Pal Pacific, and seeks to show that
whatever autocracies can do, multi-
erstwhile Soviet Union did. This was one rea-
son the US, during the Cold War, built its
towards working with ASEAN and its mem-
ber states — the heart of the Indo-Pacific.”
leap in manufacturing. New Delhi is allergic
to trade deals, but what matters in the 21st
what it is today, a genuine multilateral for- member to have pulled out of it Chaudhuri party governments can do better. security structure around a hub-and-spoke Quad needs to work with lots of other century will be cross-border data flows. And
mation, is almost solely thanks to Beijing’s once, is today the most committed Beijing’s plans for global influence system of bilateral alliances. Just getting countries because of its core interest in being that’s up India’s alley. The Quad Principles
blunderbuss ways. member. are largely built around its eco- South Korea and Japan to join hands proved an alternative to China in technology and on Technology, Design, Development, Gov-
Quad has completed a remarkable gesta- One can almost mark the turning points nomic accomplishments — mastery of infra- impossible. And it still is — Washington con- resolving what Foggy Bottom called “the ernance and Use have the potential to be
tion in the past nine months. At the start of when each government gave up the ghost of structure-building and targeted finance and sidered inviting South Korea to Quad and got challenges of the 21st century”. A semicon- more world-defining than the Regional Com-
the year, its participatory governments Sinophilia. The US turned when China used control of digital technology. Its military an equally loud “No” from Seoul and Tokyo. ductor network must include the likes of Tai- prehensive Economic Partnership.
declined to use the word “Quad,” avoided the G-20 honeymoon to take over the South remains a construction site with major By agreement, security arrangements are wan, South Korea and Singapore. Vaccines The Asian geopolitical landscape is chang-
joint statements, and held no summits. Now, China Sea. Galwan Valley led India, which design flaws. Quad’s priority will be about kept at arm’s length. Security is done at a will be rejected if the doses are contaminated ing on a quarterly basis. The tendency is to
Quad is a full-fledged summit-level mecha- always had a more realistic view of what Bei- showing that “rules-based democracies” are bilateral level and even the Malabar naval with toxic geopolitics. look at what is breaking down. The US has
nism with pomp, ceremony, a problem-solv- jing was all about than the others, to con- more than capable of doing the same. As a exercises are kept separate. The recent Aus- India has special reason to be pleased with withdrawn from Central Asia. As things fall
ing agenda, and an expanding universe of clude being even outwardly nice to China senior adviser to former Japanese prime tralia-centred nuclear submarine deal was a all these developments. A genuine Chinese apart, the Association of Southeast Asian
expert teams and working groups. was a waste of time. minister, Shinzo Abe, explained, Quad is perfect fit — it enhanced security but outside counterweight is developing rapidly. India Nations’s centrality is not holding. But what
The latest summit makes diplomacy What had to be decided, particularly by deliberately designed to be flexible. “It does Quad. It is not about fooling China, this is currently lacks the diplomatic and economic we are now seeing is the construction part of
almost geeky in the amount of tech involved. the US, was the nature of the tactical not require a consensus among its members more about reassuring skittish governments capability to balance against China across the story. Four of the Five Eyes now share a
Artificial Intelligence, space, cybersecurity, response. The Trump administration took to act.” in places such as Southeast Asia. “China is Asia. Quad accepts that accelerating the rise nuclear and technology muscle. And Quad
resilient infrastructure, STEM education, the Quad seriously, but the president was Indo-Pacific is not designed for a North the only anti-Quad Asian country. But there of India is part of the implicit geopolitical has now left the runway and is reaching
Internet of Things, semiconductors, biotech- obsessed with yesteryear responses such as Atlantic Treaty Organization-type system. are a lot of Quad-skeptical countries and we agenda of the organisation. cruising altitude.
nology, clean hydrogen and more have been tariffs and barriers. The Biden administra- The geographical spread is too vast, there are need to reassure them,” say Indian officials. The creation of supply chains and innova-
placed on the table. tion responded to the Chinese belief that con- too many historical rivalries, and China is The latest Quad statement was almost flow- tion cycles independent of China offer an The views expressed are personal

How India’s babus

{ SUNDAY SENTIMENTS } Do these developments suggest a grow- TO BE HONEST, WE DON’T
ing Hindu and Bharatiya Janata Party
Karan Thapar (BJP) influence in the Army? Or were HAVE EVIDENCE OF A
these foolish mistakes made by overzeal- DEEP-SET MALAISE IN
ous officers? I don’t know. But the Army
needs to find out. I’m reliably told that the
THE ARMY. BUT, EQUALLY,
A FEW THINGS HAVE fare in a flawed system
A disturbing trend Army chief has agreed to do so.
The third development is more troub-
ling. It was brought to my attention by
GONE WRONG. I’D LIKE
TO BELIEVE THESE ureaucrats are derisively dismissed when one was reached, she scuppered it. In

in the armed forces

General Panag, who wrote about it in The
Print. On December 4, the CDS, General
Bipin Rawat, chose to visit a college run
by the Gorakhnath Math, in the company
of Yogi Adityanath, rather than attend
ARE ERRORS THAT
CAN BE EASILY AND
SWIFTLY CORRECTED.
B as “babus”, and the bureaucracy is
often blamed for the failures of gov-
ernance. Yet, over the last few
weeks, I have been reminded several times
of some of the outstanding officers, and of
her first meeting with the governor, she
insisted that the Punjab government take a
hardline, saying “she would not hesitate to
bomb the Golden Temple if she had to”.
Pande was greatly disturbed by this. He
don’t want to exaggerate, but there a regiment that recruits from all faiths — Navy Day in Delhi, where he ought to BUT ONLY IF THEY ARE the faults in the system of government that wasn’t even consulted when eight of his

I are a few disturbing developments in

the Indian Army that are matters of
concern. If they turn out to be straws
in the wind that blow away, no one would
be more relieved than me. But what if
this would amount to partiality and dis-
crimination.
That’s the precise point former Navy
chief, Admiral L Ramdas, made in a letter
to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the
have been. This is what General Panag
wrote: “Gen. Rawat’s…presence at an
institution run by a religious/political
organisation and paying obeisance at a
religious place in (the) company of the
violation of rules and regulations, the
consequent compromising of the armed
forces’ secular and apolitical status, and
have stood in the way of them making full
use of their talents.
Renowned economist, Kaushik Basu,
served as India’s chief economic adviser
from 2009 to 2012. He recounted his experi-
advisers — the equivalent of ministers
under President’s Rule — were changed.
Political interference in the police, reaching
down to the level of posting constables dis-
turbed him too because it undermined their
they gather and accumulate? In that Army chief and the Air Force and Navy Mahant, who is also a controversial politi- the failure to attend Navy Day, which the ences in Policy Makers Journal: From New morale and reduced their effectiveness.
event, our best defence is to voice our chiefs. “This will only serve to focus on cal leader, does not augur well for the mil- CDS is expected to. Delhi to Washington DC. Basu found India The tributes paid to former health secre-
apprehensions. communal differences amongst person- itary and the nation.” Now, how worrying is all of this? That, had “one of the most cumbersome bureauc- tary, Keshav Desiraju, who died three weeks
Two of these developments happened nel of the Armed Forces,’’ he wrote. I’m Let me summarise General Panag’s of course, is the key issue. To be honest, racies in the world with sluggish decision- ago, tell the story of an outstanding Indian
this month. The third occurred in Decem- told the matter was also raised by several concerns. First, “well-established tradi- we don’t have evidence of a deep-set mal- making which slows down the entire econ- Administrative Service officer who resisted
ber 2020. Let me raise them in that order. former Army chiefs at a dinner at the Bat- tions, particularly with respect to tri-ser- aise. But, equally, a few things have gone omy”. He pointed out particular corruption — the bane of govern-
First, former Navy chief, Admiral Arun tle Honours mess during the recent chiefs’ vice integration, are being given short wrong. I’d like to believe these are errors faults in the functioning of the ance in India — and paid the price
Prakash, and former northern Army com- conference. shrift.” Second, “it is a violation of rules, that can be easily and swiftly corrected. bureaucracy — for instance, it is a for it. As Uttarakhand’s health sec-
mander, Lieutenant General HS Panag, The second development happened regulations and (the) law of armed for- But only if they are. Otherwise, what’s system in which everyone gets retary, and then at the Centre dur-
tweeted a video of an aarti being played at days after. It was a tweet on September 17 ces.” Third, “it compromises the secular overlooked could start a trend, become a involved in decision-making, ing Manmohan Singh’s time, he
a ceremonial parade at the Artillery Regi- from the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, and apolitical status of the armed forces.” habit and who knows where that might which leads to files circulating just played a key role in the develop-
mental Centre, while soldiers clapped also known as 15th Corps. It extended I asked General Panag if he received end. As an Army son, I don’t want to think to collect “no objection certifi-
along behind a box with Om painted on it. “heartiest birthday greetings” to the any response from General Rawat. His that far. cates”. He counted a secretary in
Mark Tully ment of a mental health policy to
create awareness of the needs of
Now, I know that religion has a well-es- prime minister. It also said: “True leader- answer was no. This is despite the fact the ministry of commerce saying the disabled, and in the formation
tablished role in the Army, but only based ship is not about a Title or Designation. that, as an instructor at the military acad- “sir” on average 16 times per min- of the National Technical Advisory
on the equality of all religions. Singling It’s all about Impact, Influence and Inspi- emy, he taught the young Rawat. This also Karan Thapar is the author of Devil’s Advo- ute to demonstrate the continuing British Group on Immunisation. But he was sum-
out one faith would breach that custom ration”. Though rapidly deleted, the tweet means the charges levelled by General cate: The Untold Story raj hierarchical ethos in the bureaucracy. marily transferred to the ministry of con-
and practice. In the case of the artillery — was, nonetheless, widely circulated. Panag remain unanswered — the alleged The views expressed are personal On the other hand, he was surprised by how sumer affairs after only serving 11 months
much talent he found in the bureaucracy. as health secretary.
The economists of the Indian Economic Then health minister, Ghulam Nabi
Service particularly impressed him. Azad, said that the transfer was “a regular

For clean air, commit The diary of BD Pande has also just been
published. After retirement as Cabinet sec-
retary, the top position in the bureaucracy,
he served as the governor of Punjab during
affair”, but it was widely reported that
Desiraju had been transferred because of
his refusal to tolerate corruption in the
Medical Council of India, and his opposition

to ambitious targets the two years leading to Operation Blue

Star. The diary reveals the shambles in the
administration of the state, created by inter-
ference in the government — another char-
to the tobacco lobby — a substantial con-
tributor to party funds.
After retirement, he co-edited a collec-
tion of essays, Healers Or Predators? Health-
arlier this week, the World Health mitted by the over 100 non-attainment acteristic weakness of Indian governance. care Corruption in India. Basu’s observa-

E Organization (WHO) announced cities under the National Clean Air Pro-
new air quality guidelines that aid gramme (NCAP) are a useful exercise,
countries in defining air quality these are not legally binding. In addition,
levels that protect public health.
The first revision of the guidelines
rural areas are neglected.
These new guidelines also come weeks
When I interviewed Pande, he told me that
he was plagued by conflicting orders, from
backseat drivers in Delhi which included
the coterie surrounding Indira Gandhi, the
home minister, and the then President of
tions and the experiences of Pande and
Desiraju demonstrate the talent that there
was in the bureaucracy under the Congress
and the hindrances which hampered tal-
ented bureaucrats. Has this changed under
since 2005, this review benefited from a after the government announced the for- India, Giani Zail Singh, a Sikh. the Bharatiya Janata Party? That could be
wealth of new scientific evidence gener- mation of a panel under the environment Gandhi herself didn’t support her gover- the subject of another column.
ated in the interim period across devel- ministry to review India’s National The revised WHO guidelines are a clear nudge from the health sector towards the nor. Pande believed that there should be a
oped and developing countries. Ambient Air Quality Standards deep decarbonisation of India’s economy AP settlement of the Akali Dal’s grievances, but The views expressed are personal
The data showed that severe (NAAQS). Last revised in 2009,
impacts of particulate and gase-
ous pollutants on health occur
even below levels previously
NAAQS, as they stand, are
exceedingly lenient, given what
we have learnt in the last decade
It has not been clear what scientific
and epidemiological evidence was con-
sidered in decision-making for the previ-
WHO guidelines are a clear nudge
from the health sector towards the deep
decarbonisation of our economy neces-
A
l
considered acceptable by health about the impact of air pollution ous revision of NAAQS in 2009. While sary to achieve both climate and air pol- { SUNDAY LETTERS }
scientists. on premature death and illness this may have been due to a dearth of lution goals. However, as things stand,
The result of these new Bhargav in India and elsewhere. Com- local data on the health effects of air pol- most — if not all — Indian cities struggle Listen to CJI
guidelines is a reset in our Krishna pared to the updated WHO lution at the time, the last 12 years have to meet NAAQS, let alone the updated UP: Warming up for the big battle
understanding of what we con- guidelines, NAAQS levels for yielded considerable evidence on the WHO guidelines. Even the targeted 30% This is with reference to With reference to Chanakya’s In Uttar Pradesh, does the
sider safe and breathable air. PM2.5 alone will be eight-fold impact of air pollution exposure on car- reduction from 2017 levels under NCAP, Lalita Panicker’s The BJP have an edge? (September 19), the Bharatiya Janata
Under the previous guidelines, higher for 24-hour exposures, diovascular and metabolic diseases. if met, will only provide marginal bene- distressing reality of Party’s multi-caste and multi-class social alliance in the
over 90% of the global popula- and four-fold higher for annual Health impact studies, led in part by fits in improving health. women prisoners in India state is truly its biggest strength. At the same time, the
tion was exposed to air that was exposures. Indian lungs are no the Indian Council of Medical Research, To ensure air pollution no longer (September 19). The Opposition can build a strong narrative around the farm
considered unhealthy. With this different from any others, so have shown that ambient PM2.5 was remains the single-largest risk factor for government should listen protest and Covid-19-related issues.
revision, that number will only there is no scientific rationale responsible for almost a million prema- ill-health in India, we must commit to to Chief Justice of India R Chauhan, via email
grow. for such a vast discrepancy. ture deaths in India (2019). Clarity on ambitious policies with time-bound tar- NV Ramana’s recent
For India, this is a reminder Santosh There are key process lessons how these significant scientific advances gets. Placing public health at the centre remarks on the need to
of the folly of neglecting every-
Harish that can be learnt from the way will be factored in must be an essential of air quality management, coupled with devise programmes and II
day air pollution and fixating on the WHO and other agencies aspect of this process. a commitment to accountability and services that enable The BJP has a good chance of winning the 2022 polls in
seasonal peaks in the national around the world, including the NAAQS revisions must also ensure transparency in standard-setting, is the women prisoners to Uttar Pradesh because it knows how to control the
Capital. Tens of crore are being United States Environmental that a diversity of voices are represented only way to ensure that the goals we set reintegrate into society. political narrative and reach out to voters in a planned
spent on ineffective boondoggles such as Protection Agency, conduct such in deliberations, including from atmos- do not remain solely aspirational. They should not be manner. The Opposition should realise this and join
smog towers in Delhi, while other cities reviews. At the centre is scientific evi- pheric science, public health, policy, law, marginalised anymore. hands to put up a strong show.
are receiving paltry budget allocations, dence that is factored into decision-mak- and civil society. Greater inclusivity and Bhargav Krishna and Santosh Harish are fel- Ved Gupta, via email A Das, via email
reflecting the disconnect between intent ing and the role of key stakeholders at transparency must be the hallmarks of lows at the Centre for Policy Research.
and action. While the action plans sub- various stages in the process. this process. The views expressed are personal Write to us at: [email protected]

RNI No. MAHENG/2005/15187, Air Surcharge : Ahmedabad, Nagpur and beyond by Rail or Road - Rs. 2 /-.

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Executive Editor: SACHIN KALBAG
MUMBAI
SUNDAY
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 09

Bhavish Aggarwal
and Ankit Bhati

Riders on the
storm
They went up against Uber and survived. They’ve held their own in
the pandemic. Now, Ola has announced bumper plans to disrupt
the electronic vehicles market. Is this a wager they can win?

1
“They are not going to meet the deadline,” A decade
Charles Assisi
estimates Adil Darukhanawala, an automobile after Bhavish
[email protected] historian, journalist and author who tracks the Aggarwal,
sector closely. He’s not sure the workforce of 36, and Ankit
ny way you look at it, Bha- 10,000 can do much to help speed things along. Bhati, 34,

A
vish Aggarwal, 36, has It would appear, meanwhile, that a price war launched the
come a long way since he has begun with Hero MotoCorp and with Bajaj’s ride-hailing app Ola, the
launched OlaCabs (now Chetak. There is immense potential for electric company unveiled Ola
Ola) in 2010 with Ankit vehicles in India, particularly scooters. With fuel electric vehicles, on
Bhati, 34, a fellow alum- prices headed only up, the incentive to shift to August 15, 2021.
nus from the Indian Insti- lower-cost alternatives is high. “Ather [produced
tute of Technology - Bom- by a start-up heavily invested in by Hero] and

2
bay. Creating an app to hail taxis appeared fool- Chetak are easily the best in class,” Darukhan- ANI Tech-
hardy back then. Aggarwal and Bhati seemed awala says. nologies,
young and naïve, preparing to go up against But regardless of price and product, crucial which is
well-oiled, cash-rich machines such as Uber, infrastructure is missing. Most of India has Ola’s parent
which had support from the Silicon Valley eco- erratic power supply. Fluctuating voltage and company
system and stormed the Indian market in 2013. backup generator sets cannot be used to charge and which
That Ola took off despite the odds is now part of electric vehicles. Aggarwal also heads, is
start-up folklore. When it comes to Ola Electric, there are no looking to disrupt the
But it appears Aggarwal is far from done and dealerships or service centres in place either. Ola EV market with vehicles
wants to create another narrative. In March this has said that, in case of an issue, engineers will priced lower than the
year, he announced the company’s intent to be sent to a customer’s doorstep. This, the com- competition, a positive
manufacture electric scooters. ANI Technolo- pany argues, will be a very different model from Make-in-India narrative,
gies, which is Ola’s parent company and which the traditional one that requires the customer to and backing from some
Aggarwal also heads, created an entity called Ola visit the dealer. of the world’s most
Electric to build the electric scooters. Work on How will this work on the scale the numbers powerful private equity
the manufacturing plant, Aggarwal told the suggest? Deliveries will begin as promised and companies.
media, had commenced in Tamil Nadu. When the first assembly lines have started trial runs, a
completed, it would be the world’s largest plant company spokesperson told Wknd. The spokes-

3
of its kind, in addition to which its workforce of person added that there is a plan to eventually Challenges
10,000 would be made up of only women. set up 1 lakh hyper-charging stations across the of infra-
He showcased the first Ola Electric scooter on country too. structure
August 15. People who had logged in to watch A more detailed questionnaire sent to, and and logistics
the launch event on the company website were received by, Ola spokespersons did not yield a remain.
told of a booking price of Rs 499, and competi- response. There have, meanwhile, been noises Large parts
tive entry price of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.19 lakh for the that the co-founders who started Ola together of India have erratic
two models (most leading EVs on the market don’t agree on this project. But it would likely be power supply. Ola plans
start at the higher end of that range). A mad a mistake to write off the soft-spoken young man to set up its own
scramble to book the vehicles apparently began. who started life in Ludhiana, grew up in Afghan- charging stations, over
Media stories reflected Ola Electric’s reports istan and the UK, and was written off by most time. With no dealer-

w that it was swamped with 500,000 bookings in

its first month. At the time of writing this story,
bookings had closed. A company release said
they would reopen around Diwali.
Is Ola Electric an even more foolhardy ven-
people when he started his entrepreneurial jour-
ney a decade ago.
Back then, Aggarwal didn’t even have the cap-
ital, just gumption. As things stand, he is now
bankrolled by some of the world’s most power-
ships in place, after-
sales service would
follow a doorstep-
delivery model.
Meanwhile, the first
ture than the one Aggarwal attempted in 2010? ful private equity companies, including Matrix deliveries have been
Automobile industry veterans describe the out- Partners, Tiger Global and SoftBank. scheduled for October.
look as seemingly unsustainable. Ola has prom- There is also institutional support for what is
ised delivery of its first EVs in October. Bookings being pegged a new-age Make in India story, a
are all made via the Ola app, and estimated supposed rival even to Tesla’s ambitions in the
Are there flying
delivery periods are starting to pop up next to subcontinent. The race is on, the road is bumpy,
cars on the cards?
purchases. and Aggarwal has been here before.
Bhavish Aggarwal
HT ILLUSTRATION: MANOJ SINHA
on what’s next,
via HT Auto

inside CULTURE
Action stations
A Prinseps auction is set to
P10
MIND

So that’s what Galaxy quest P12

LIFESTYLE

showcase posters from the happened P11 There are great expectations
from the Apple TV adaptation
earliest era of the Hindi As India moves to declassify of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation
talkies, including vibrant old military records, take series. Will it adapt to the
hand-painted art a look at strange events times, while maintaining its
featuring India’s first from world history that most distinctive feature —
superwoman, remained secrets for years, big questions, treated on a
Fearless Nadia even decades breathtaking scale?
10 MUMBAI
SUNDAY
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

wknd culture
{ PICTURE IN PICTURE } HEROES TO SUPERHEROES

Look closely and you’ll see

swashbucklers in our midst
Don Q: Son of Zorro, and many others.

Action
K Fairbanks’s last swashbuckler film was
Narayanan 1929’s The Iron Mask, his first talking
movie, based the last of Alexandre Dumas’s
D’Artagnan romances, The Vicomte of
veryone knows the origin story of Bragelonne. Fairbanks continued to make

E Batman. Bruce Wayne loses his

parents at the age of eight. The fam-
films, including doing a turn as an aging
Don Juan in 1934. But he never did another

stations
ily is accosted by a gunman as swashbuckling role.
they’re walking home from a movie. The The genre, however, was far from dead.
gunman shoots the adults but leaves Bruce There was a new star rising.
Wayne alive. And you know the rest. Two of the biggest hits of 1934 were
What was the movie the Waynes had just MGM’s Treasure Island, the third remake of
watched that fateful night? Appropriately, Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic in 16 years,
it was one that featured a hero who was a and United Artists’s The Count of Monte
wealthy but ineffectual fop by day but Cristo, the seventh remake since the Dumas
An upcoming auction will showcase turned into a dashing defender of the poor novel was first adapted for film in 1908.
posters from the earliest era of the and downtrodden by night. A hero with a Warner Brothers, looking around for a
secret lair under his mansion, the entrance property they could use to jump on the
Hindi talkies, including vibrant to which was concealed by a grandfather bandwagon, settled on Captain Blood, an
clock. A hero with a manservant who knew adaptation of Rafael Sabatini’s stories about
hand-painted art featuring India’s of his dual life and was utterly devoted to an Irish doctor-turned-pirate. They approa-
first superwoman, Fearless Nadia him. A masked man, dressed in black, with ched Robert Donat, star of ...Monte Cristo,
an animal motif… but he declined. They then took a chance on
The movie was The Mark of Zorro. a good-looking Tasmanian they had signed
early in 1935. His name was Errol Flynn.
Secret origins
In Like Flynn
When The Mark of Zorro came out in 1920,
it was a sensation. Its star, Douglas Fair- Flynn made just four swashbuckler films:
banks, had made his reputation as a leading Captain Blood (1935), The Adventures of
man in light comedies. Zorro turned him Robin Hood (1938), The Sea Hawk (1940),
into the archetypal swashbuckler. and The Adventures of Don Juan (1948). But
Even today, The Mark of Zorro retains its he defined the genre as much as it defined
watchability. It’s over a century old, it’s a him. For many fans, Flynn’s portrayal
silent film, but you can see what made Fair- remains the definitive representation of
banks such a sensation. The movie is Assas- Robin Hood on screen, despite attempts at
sin’s Creed meeting the Keystone Kops, a the role by Sean Connery, Kevin Costner,
circus performance where Fairbanks is an Russell Crowe, and a host of others.
acrobat in a world of clowns. And it’s no Flynn was influential not just on the
Riddhi Doshi surprise that Bob Kane and Bill Finger paid genre but on actors two continents away. In
homage to his iconic performance by mod- the late 1930s, a film-struck young MG Ram-
[email protected] elling Batman on him. achandran trimmed his moustache and
In the following year, 1921, Fairbanks practised swordfights in empty hairdressing

I
t’s hard to conceive of how starred as D’Artagnan in The Three Muske- salons in Madras.
important film posters were in teers. This was followed by The Adventures Decades after Flynn’s last swashbuckler,
the early years of Indian cinema. of Robin Hood (1922), one of the most when Rob Reiner was looking for the lead
Until well into the 1990s, the best expensive productions of its age and a mas- for The Princess Bride (1987), he said he
chance a film had of being founding Wadias, brothers Jamshed and sive commercial success. Fairbanks domi- wanted an Errol Flynn, an Errol Flynn with
noticed was if the makers posted Homi, set up the studio in 1933. They were nated the 1920s with hit after hit in the same a twinkle in his eye. He eventually found
small ads on the inside pages of from the same Wadia family as the ship- vein: The Black Pirate, The Thief of Bagdad, just what he was looking for, in the form of
newspapers, or pasted posters on builders; their interests, however, weren’t greens and oranges; Cary Elwes.
public walls. in commerce but in fantasy. Wadia Movie- they picked out dramatic (Below) Cary Elwes in The Princess Bride
Every city has walls that a certain genera- tone was known for mythological features, scenes and recreated them. In the poster for (1987) picked up in many ways from where Other stories, other stars
The Prinseps tion will forever associate with a running fantasies and, most notably, for giving India Stunt Queen (1947), for instance, a train Errol Flynn left off, after films that
auction will scroll of the latest blockbusters. What was its first superwoman. speeds towards Nadia as she lies prone on, included an unforgettable turn as Robin Flynn did not have a monopoly on swash-
feature action- Amitabh’s latest? Hema Malini’s? Rekha’s? The studio became defined by swash- and lashed to, railway tracks; to one side, Hood in 1938. (Bottom) Douglas Fairbanks, buckling roles. There was Tyrone Power,
packed posters You got the drift as you drove past. buckling films that starred a woman, Mary she stands clearly victorious, presumably the original swashbuckler, in The Mark of who starred in the 1940 version of The Mark
for Wadia And so the posters of this age contained Ann Evans, who was nicknamed Fearless later in the film, wielding a gun. Zorro (1920), later echoed in Batman. of Zorro and in the 1942 film The Black
Movietone films, an artistry and attention to detail that is vir- Nadia because she whipped her opponents “It is interesting to note that film poster Swan, another Sabatini adaptation. There
among other tually non-existent today. From the 1930s to with riding crops, battled small battalions of making art of that era overlapped with the was Ronald Colman, perfectly cast as Rudolf
artefacts from the 1960s, the early decades of the talkies, men single-handedly, performed all her progressive art movement,” said Gohil. As Rassendyll in The Prisoner of Zenda, fight-
the estate of they were still hand-painted. A good poster own stunts (and they were daring), and artists MF Husain, SH Raza, FN Souza and ing against the movie’s dashing and deadly
Riyad Wadia, was the equivalent of today’s trailer. It could dressed to kill, in leather boleros, boots, face others from the Bombay Progressive Artists’ antagonist, Rupert of Hentzau, played bril-
grandson of the make or break a film’s first weekend. masks, and hats. Group were breaking from a European style liantly by the son of the original swashbuck-
studio’s co- A trove of such hand-painted posters will Nadia’s first film was Hunterwali (1935), of painting in monotones and muted shades ling hero, Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
founder Jamshed go under the hammer at an upcoming the tale of a masked princess who fights for by using bright colours and bold strokes, Even today, the influence of the swash-
Wadia. The online Prinseps auction. Each poster has a the downtrodden. “This film brought big film posters too were adopting the country’s bucklers lives on. Iron Man, the character
studio, set up in reserve price of Rs 20,000. Also on auction fame and fortune to Wadia Movietone,” said new-age art narrative. that kicked off the monstrous money
1933, was best will be lobby cards, and song books that film scholar and historian Amrit Gangar. Fearless Nadia, incidentally, was a force machine that is the Marvel Cinematic Uni-
known for its were distributed to film audiences at the “Audiences all across India gave her a to reckon with off-screen too, which came verse, was even drawn to look like Flynn.
swashbuckling time so they could sing along to the lyrics. thumping welcome.” through in the posters and films. Born in Swashbucklers don’t die. They just retreat
films starring All the artefacts are from the estate of Fearless Nadia would go on to play dare- Western Australia, she could ride horses, for a while, before returning in triumph.
Mary Ann Evans, Riyad Wadia, grandson of Jamshed Wadia, devil, adventurer or vigilante in several hunt, fish, and shoot, and grew up in the
also known as co-founder of Wadia Movietone. This was a Wadia Movietone films. Some of the posters untamed North-West Frontier Province
Fearless Nadia. leading and rather revo- for these films will be part of the auction. (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan).
lutionary film produc- “The Wadia movies often dealt with sub- Her father, a volunteer with the British
tion house based in jects such as gender inequality, illiteracy, Army, died in World War 1 and, in 1928, she
Mumbai, then Bombay, religious intolerance and poverty in their came to Bombay with her mother and son,
in the 1930s. The fantasy and action films. Most of Robert Jones, about whom not much is
their films were way ahead of known. Here, she studied ballet.
their time,” said Brijeshwari She eventually joined her teacher’s ballet
Gohil, curator of the auction troupe and performed across India. On the
and vice-president of Prinseps. advice of a fortune-teller, changed her name
The fantasy works had a to Nadia. In 1930, Nadia joined the Zarko
technical expertise way ahead Circus. She then made her way into the
of their time too and these movies and, in 1961, married Homi Wadia.
flights of the imagination Her great-nephew Riyad Wadia, best
extended to the posters for known for his short film BOMgAY (1996),
these films, Gangar added. possibly the first gay-themed movie to come
“These posters, most made out of India, also made a documentary on
by film poster artist DG her titled Fearless: The Hunterwali Story
Pradhan, are a departure (1994). She was still alive at the time. Nadia
from the earlier text-heavy died on January 9, 1996, a day after her 88th
ones,” said Gohil. Pradhan’s birthday. The posters are one of the many
posters were awash in places where she lives on.

{ ALWAYS AT THE MOVIES } Short films are also, by design, more con- woman’s family doesn’t deem her fit for
tained in budget and scale. They were eas- ceramic), is exquisite. It’s twisted and sad (Left to right) { MICHAELA COEL }
Anupama Chopra ier to execute amid Covid protocols. As but also superbly satisfying. Neeraj, who Konkona Sen ACTOR, WRITER
uncertainty became the new normal, it was also made the terrific 2017 short film Juice Sharma is a
also easier to get artists to commit to a few with Shefali Shah, keenly understands the gay Dalit
P
There are no shortcuts days of work rather than a long schedule.
In terms of logistics and execution,
anthologies were the right answer. Except
grammar of shorts.
Many filmmakers simply don’t have this
particular skill. The truth is, being able to
woman in the
masterful
Geeli Pucchi. In a world that
to making great movies that making a short film is a unique art. It
requires economy of expression and the
ability to layer each frame and dramatic
make a feature does nothing to guarantee
that you’ll be able to make a short. Which
is why so many anthologies are so feeble.
Soni Razdan
and Vinay
Pathak in the
entices us to
browse through
beat with multiple meanings so that the The worst I’ve seen recently is Kaali Peeli uninspiring
Anthologies have caught on in the pandemic because they’re smallest gesture speaks volumes – think of Tales, streaming on Amazon miniTV. It’s a Kaali Peeli the lives of others...
easier to execute. But making a short film is a unique talent, the expression on the face of Bharti Man- collection of six short films that range from Tales. Shefali
and to in turn feel
dal (played by an excellent Konkona Sen silly to flat-out awful. Shah in Juice
and the sad truth is that not even all good filmmakers have it Sharma) in the last shot of Neeraj Ghay- Perhaps it’s time to rest and reboot the (2017), a film the need to be
wan’s masterful Geeli Pucchi in this year’s format. Anthologies are inherently a many- that still
nother week, another anthology. what you’re going to get. The best antholo- Ajeeb Daastaans anthology. Mandal is a splendoured thing. The best ones endure; stands out for constantly visible...
A The latest is Ankahi Kahaniya, a
three-film collection on Netflix
India. The directors are
Abhishek Chaubey, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari,
and Saket Chaudhary. The films are une-
gies work like a grand orchestra, in which
varied cinematic visions riff off one other.
A case in point is Lust Stories (2018), in
which the minimalism of Zoya Akhtar’s
superb short about a furtive affair between
gay, Dalit woman who has just turned the
screws on an upper-caste woman she
befriended. The look in her eyes, as she
drinks out of a steel mug (because the
think of Dibakar Banerjee’s Love Sex aur
Dhokha, made in 2010, and still capable of
evoking shock and horror. That’s the stan-
dard makers should aspire to.
how keenly it
understood
the grammar
of shorts.
do not be afraid to
disappear...
and see
ven, a descriptor that can be applied to a middle-class man and his maid (played
most of the anthologies released on by a solid Bhumi Pednekar) was offset by what
streaming platforms in the last 18 months.
Think of the ambitious nine-film collec-
the maximalism of Karan Johar’s film
about a newly married woman (Kiara
comes to
tion Navarasa, co-produced by Mani Rat- Advani, in a career-changing role) and her you in the
nam. Or Unpaused, five shorts made dur- errant vibrator. There was mischief and
ing the pandemic, dealing with the havoc melancholy. There was also the excitement silence.
that Covid-19 has wreaked on us (directors of comparing and ranking storytellers who
addressing other
included Raj and DK, Nikkhil Advani and were all interpreting the same theme. It
writers, while
Avinash Arun, whose Vishaanu was the was, in a sense, the closest thing you can
accepting an
stand-out). Or Ray, a collection of four get in the movies to a direct competition.
Emmy for the
films, each about an hour long, based on Then came Covid-19. Through the pan-
writing of her
the short stories of Satyajit Ray. demic, anthology films became the pre-
critically

A
Each has been a mix of the sparkling and ferred format. It’s easy to see why. The cri-
acclaimed series, I
the mediocre. Which is of course part of sis upended life so completely that it was
May Destroy You
the allure. Anthologies are like Forrest impossible for one film to capture our new,
Gump’s box of chocolates: you never know even more miserable and fractured world.
MUMBAI
SUNDAY
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 11
wknd mind
{ TUNE OUT } SWITCH TRACKS

Stuck in a loop? See what’s

So that’s causing your earworms

what
were likely to be very familiar to the partici-
Vanessa Viegas pants. Polysomnography tests were used to
[email protected] measure subsequent sleep quality.
The study found, essentially, that those
ave a song lodged in your head with trouble sleeping and poor quality of

H
happened
and can’t seem to Shake It Off? sleep were more likely to end up with night
Almost like a Baby Shark is earworms. Surprisingly, the instrumental
swimming in your brain? A love versions of the songs caused about twice as
1942 IMAGES: WIKIMEDIA affair with a catchy tune can turn into a Bad many earworms as the versions with vocals.
Alan Turing helpe
d COMMONS; Romance pretty quickly. There seemed to be a commonality
Britain win World
SHUTTERSTOCK This phenomenon of suffering from an between the songs most likely to stick. They
War 2 by breaking
earworm annoyed researcher Michael Scul- were either songs that the subject had heard
the Enigma code
lin so much that he decided to study why he a lot, and / or had repetitive notes paired
kept waking up in the middle of the night with simple but distinctive rhythms. (Think
with a song stuck in his head. Rihanna’s “Work, work, work, work, work,
Mexico’s Mapimi desert, across the national Scullin, an associate professor of psychol- work” or Queen’s We Will Rock You).
As India moves to declassify old military records and border. The Americans did more than apol- ogy and neuroscience at Baylor University, The night-time factor is an interesting
ogise, documents from 2013 show. The mis- Texas, and his colleagues, surveyed 199 peo- one. It’s been well-documented that putting
make them public, take a look at strange events from world sile contained a radioactive isotope ple online and enrolled 50 young volunteers a tune to something makes it easier to
history that remained secrets for years, even decades designed to contaminate land, so they
assisted in search and clean-up efforts, even
in an offline study. This latter group, with remember. We remember nursery rhymes
an average age of 21.2, was brought into from when we were four; rap is used to
constructing a road through the sands to Scullin’s Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition teach everything from mathematics to
Rachel Lopez The Americans once excavate tonnes of soil from the missile site. Laboratory at Baylor to investigate the phe- Shakespeare. Part of the reason for this is
nomenon of earworms that develop during that the brain continues to process music
[email protected] tried to use cats as spies Julia Child cooked up sleep. Their findings were published in the for hours after we’ve stopped listening to it.
Files declassified in 1983 reveal that the US’s journal Psychological Science this June. Listening to a catchy song not long before
shark repellent

I
n June, defence minister Rajnath Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had a cov- Before bedtime, Scullin and his bed means that it keeps running on a
Singh approved a new policy for ert project in the 1960s, in which it tried to Before she discovered French cuisine and team attempted to induce ear- loop, and additionally runs into the
India’s military documentation. use cats to gather intelligence from the made it famous in America, Julia Child had worms in participants by brain’s processing and memory
Records of wars and operations
older than 25 years, which were
thus far state secrets, will now be
appraised and transferred to the
national archives. France made a
Kremlin and from Soviet embassies. A
microphone was implanted in each cat’s
ear, and a small radio transmitter at the
base of its skull, and the felines were let
loose near the buildings. It was a $20 mil-
a job with the Office of Strategic Services,
the predecessor to CIA. At the agency’s
Emergency Sea Rescue Equipment Section
in 1942, she was part of a team tasked with
developing a shark repellent. She did it, too,
w randomly assigning
instrumental or stan-
dard versions of one of
three popular and
catchy tunes to each
consolidation phase (which
is what the brain is busy
doing during sleep).
Scullin now knows
what to avoid: catchy
similar decision in March, allowing public lion disaster. The cats couldn’t be trained mixing up chemicals that could emit a dead- subject. The three songs, on a loop, close
access to defence documents up to 1970, well enough to pick up anything useful. The fish odour for six to seven hours. The repel- songs were Shake It to bedtime. Change any
under the country’s Heritage Code. project, though, had a fantastic name: lent is still used to keep sharks from attack- Off by Taylor Swift, of those parameters
For military experts and historians, this Acoustic Kitty. ing space debris that lands in the ocean. Call Me Maybe by and the risk of catching
is excellent news. A timebound release of And to think that the Office initially turned READ: Four Carly Rae Jepsen and a night earworm falls.
once-classified files is not just a democratic A Soviet soldier saved Child away for being too tall (she was 6’2”). ways to rid Don’t Stop Believin’ As he is quoted as saying
right, it’s a move towards a more transpar- yourself by Journey, chosen in the report: “Sometimes,
ent government. It boosts quality research. the world in 1983
The CIA may have of a pesky because they are known you can have too much of a
It shuts up conspiracy theorists, offers citi- Stanislav Petrov was a Soviet duty officer, earworm to cause earworms and good thing.”
zens closure. Writer Rana Chhina, a mili- on an overnight shift at a satellite command written a rock song
tary historian and Indian Air Force veteran, centre near Moscow in September 1983, You’ve heard how CIA used music — every-
says India’s Official Secrets Act, inherited when the early warning systems detected thing from Broadway musicals
from colonial lawmakers, tends to delay the that the US had fired five missiles at his to Dizzy Gillespie’s jazz tunes
release of a lot of records. “But without country. Protocol meant that Petrov had to — as a soft-power tool during
records, you can’t write history,” he adds. “If report it to his bosses at the Soviet military the Cold War. Reports { GREY MATTER }
you can’t learn what went wrong in history, so they could counter with a nuclear war- released in 2014 show they
you cannot learn from it and change.” head of their own. Instead, according to also played loud music on a
The Wknd Puzzle
Western nations have released informa- records released in 1998, he dismissed it as loop as a non-touch torture
tion to the public and scholars even at the
risk of appearing foolish, as the examples
below show. In India, we don’t even know
a false alarm, risking his job. His decision
paid off. It was indeed a false alarm. Petrov
had averted a third (and possibly final)
method. The report mentions
Rawhide by The Blues Broth-
ers as well as songs by Emi-
Find the keys, spot the strings
what we don’t know. “It’s all conjecture,” world war. nem and Metallica, and By Dilip D’Souza They teach concentration, but
Chhina says. Could our archives offer sur- annoying ad jingles. But also the ability to rewire
prise revelations such as these? A Nazi commander could they have also written This is (apparently) a simple search method and direction on the fly.
the Scorpions 1990 hit, Wind of Change? for words. Look for them in this grid You know what to search for
evaded punishment by Journalist Patrick Radden Keefe’s 2020 pod- of letters. At one level, this is (coming up), but of course the
working for post-war cast, Wind of Change, suggests the agency straightforward — keep looking words are not obvious, at least
German intelligence had a hand in the lyrics, meant to push anti- and presumably you will eventually not right away. Do you miss the
communist sentiments abroad. But the find them all. But are there useful forest because you’re lost
Information declassified by Germany this band has, well, neither confirmed nor strategies? For example, if you’re among the trees? Is “HELLO”
year shows that Franz Josef Huber, a top denied the involvement. searching for “HELLO”, should you easy or hard to see in a grid that
Gestapo official deployed in Austria, look for Hs (to start the word) or for also has plenty of irrelevant
escaped punishment for his involvement in Alan Turing helped repeated Ls (because that may be a letters? Does it depend on
the Holocaust by working for American and giveaway)? which direction you’re
West German intelligence services that Britain win World War 2 There’s some evidence that following? Are some directions
knew about his past. He died in Munich in The English mathematician’s work helped children like puzzles such as these. easier than others?
1975, never paying for his crimes. break Enigma, Nazi Germany’s encryption So: the names of 14 musical
machine, securing success for Britain in instruments, plus the Spanish
The US aimed for New World War 2. The story was only made pub- name for one of them, are in this
lic in the 1970s, by which time Turing had grid. They can be in any
Mexico, but bombed long died by suicide, after being chemically direction — up, down, left, right,
Mexico instead castrated by Britain for being homosexual. diagonal, backward — but
1983 1942 In 1970, the US Air Force launched a test Turing’s instrumental role wasn’t known invariably in a straight line.
Julia Child cooked rocket that was intended to land at a missile until 2013, when two of his papers were Five of the instruments are
Stanislav Petrov,a Soviet range in the southern state of New Mexico. declassified and released to the British Indian. One of those has a
soldier, averted a third up shark repellent
for the CIA It overshot its target. The rocket landed in national archives. Western twin which is also
world war among the 14.
At least two, maybe more, of
the Western instruments are
also widely used in Indian music.
IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK Puzzle: Find the 14 instruments.
{ LIFE HACKS } Bonus: Find a five-letter word
and a seven-letter word, neither
Charles Assisi of which is an instrument. Find a
six-letter sequence that, if you
prefix it with one more letter,

Is there such a thing gives you a word that became

world-famous overnight in late
2004. No, it’s not an instrument

as ”too efficient”? For answers, see P12

either.

The short answer is yes. As wheels spin ever

faster, too many are focused on optimisation,
neglecting to build slack into their lives { SOUNDS OF SCIENCE } WATER, BIRDS, LEAVES MOST CALMING

he last few weeks have felt torrid,

To relax, stop, breathe, listen
T despite doing everything right. By
“right”, I mean checking off all the
planned boxes and being efficient
to the T. It would be evident only in hindsight
that efficiency comes at a price. How much
Jamie Mullick
[email protected]
analysed the effects of sound recordings
from 251 sites across 66 national parks in
the US. Overall health outcomes such as
efficiency is good, is a question worth exam- If you never have time for distractions, and if a mind wandering makes you fidgety, you blood pressure levels and perceived pain
ining as well. need more slack in your life. It’s essential for a healthier, happier, more effective you. aves on a beach, the rustling were 184% better among those exposed to
The thing is, I’ve spent a few years practis-
ing how to be efficient, and this compels me
to be meticulous about much of what I do.
That is why I plan for the months to come,
weeks to follow, and the days that lie ahead.
felt compelled to probe him about the trans-
formation. The narrative that followed was
an interesting one.
After 25 years of a professional life that
mate the time we have on hand. I could relate
to that right away because I operate at very
efficient levels.
That is when it when it occurred to me
W of leaves, birdsong early in
the morning — nature has its
own rhythms, and these
sounds may be even better for our health
than we realise. Sounds of nature can help
natural sounds, compared with those who
were not, the study showed. Groups
exposed to natural sounds also saw a 28%
decrease in levels of “stress and annoyance”.
The researchers found that specific
Every hour must be accounted for as well. followed a meticulous schedule and had that I introspect and ask, why does “Spend relieve symptoms of stress, alleviate intense sounds brought about particular benefits.
Until not too long ago, I’d argue with any- honed him to be an efficient machine, a voice time with family” have to be on my TBD? For pain, and enhance cognitive performance, a Soundscapes with water in them improved
one who cared to listen that being extremely in his head argued that something wasn’t that matter, does “Read for 60 minutes” have recent study by researchers at Carleton Uni- emotional well-being; those with birds pro-
efficient was a good way to be. Because effi- right. Much thinking later, he figured out to be another checkbox to be ticked off? versity in Ottawa, Canada; and America’s vided the best stress relief. Of the three
cient people work on just the right things at where the issue was. There was a divergence When thought about, it becomes clear that Michigan State University, Colorado State types of natural sounds (birds, water, and
just the right time. They take mandatory between how he practised his professional the reason we find ourselves placing such University, and US National Park Service mixed) analysed, researchers found that
breaks and even sleep the right number of life and how he lived his personal one. items on our lists is because there is no slack (NPS) has shown. sounds of softly flowing water had the larg-
hours. When in doubt, I have taken solace The professional in him knew what it took in our lives. We are efficient creatures. And These effects may hark all the way back est positive effect. “I suspect that the restor-
from the advice of the French writer Gustave to run a company well. It didn’t mean mov- when looked at from that perspective, effi- to early man, when the dominance ative effect of these water sounds hinges
Flaubert: “Be regular and orderly in your life, ing seamlessly from one activity to another. ciency isn’t always good. And integrating of these natural sounds suggested upon their subtlety,” Fristrup said.
so that you may be violent and original in Instead, it meant taking downtime as well at slack doesn’t come naturally because it an absence of threat or danger. The The study has an urban planning compo-
your work.” regular intervals, because the people there makes us fidgety. Add to this the mountain of findings point to how the human nent, said Rachel Buxton, lead author of the
This thinking was challenged a few weeks needed this too, in order to function opti- literature on productivity that drives us brain is evolutionarily study and a research scientist in Carleton
ago, when in conversation with a gentleman mally. Then there were the hours when towards ever-greater efficiency (it seems like trained to find safe set- University’s department of biology. “It
from my avatar as a business writer. He shall unknowns would kick in, such as regulatory no amount is enough anymore). tings and thus feel raises the issue of how important natural
stay unnamed because of his public persona. issues to comply with. To deal with all of this, What, then, constitutes the path to greater assured, Kurt Fristrup, soundscapes are. When we think of manag-
I have known him for a little over 15 years, as the leader, he had to work to create room balance? Simply acknowledging that all effi- a co-author of the ing parks, we don’t often think of managing
and I reached out to him tentatively. We for slack in the system. He would have extra ciency isn’t necessarily good is half the study, research faculty the acoustic environment.”
hadn’t spoken in a while and the image I con- people in place as backup for some roles, and mountain climbed. There is much else to be at Colorado State Uni- Buxton added that it was encouraging to
tinued to carry of him was that of an over- knew where to look for key resources in case done. The wife and kids now watch with versity and a retired bio- find that “listening to nature sounds paired
weight man always in a hurry. any exited. much amusement as I fidget once in a while acoustical scientist with with traffic noise had greater health out-
When we got on a video call at the But when he extrapolated this analogy to when watching a movie because I think it NPS, told Wknd. comes than just listening to traffic noise.”
appointed hour, the image that stared back his personal life, he saw that there was no isn’t the most efficient way to use the time. Published in the jour- So, wherever you are in these stressful
was of an altogether different person — a room for slack there. Every hour was nal Proceedings of the times, close your eyes, try and hear the
relaxed man in an athletic frame. It was inev- accounted for. We joked about a cliché. Most The writer is the co-founder of Founding Fuel National Academy of birds, the wind in the leaves. You’ll feel bet-
itable that I forgot the original questions and of us underestimate the effort and overesti- and co-author of The Aadhaar Effect Sciences, the study ter instantly. It’s science.
14 SEPTEMBER 26, 2021
MUMBAI
SUNDAY

World
Pakistan hits out at America at UN
over fallout of its ‘war on terror’
In a recorded speech MEGHAN AND
to the UNGA, Imran HARRY VISIT
Khan touched upon a
range of topics that
UNITED NATIONS,
included climate
MEET GUTERRES Meng Wanzhou waves as she steps out of a plane in Shenzhen. AP

crisis, Islamophobia
and Afghanistan
Reuters
[email protected]

UNITED NATIONS: Prince Harry

Huawei heiress
Associated Press
[email protected]
and Meghan Markle visited the
United Nations in New York on
Saturday to meet with secre-
tary-general Antonio Guterres
back in China
NEW YORK: Prime Minister
Imran Khan sought to cast Paki-
stan as the victim of American
ungratefulness and international
during the 193-member world
body’s annual gathering of lead-
ers. “It was a lovely meeting,”
Markle told reporters as the
after swap deal
double standards in his address couple left UN headquarters. Agence France-Presse Earlier, the two detained
to the United Nations General The Duke and Duchess of Canadians arrived back in Cal-
[email protected]
Assembly (UNGA) on Friday. Sussex are in New York to gary, western Canada on Satur-
In a pre-recorded speech aired attend the Global Citizen Live SHENZHEN: Huawei executive day, and were shown on TV
during the evening, the Pakistani concert in Central Park later on Meng Wanzhou returned to being greeted and hugged by
prime minister touched upon a Saturday, which aims to push China on Saturday after two Canadian PM Justin Trudeau.
range of topics that included the for greater action to combat cli- Canadians released from prison “These two men have gone
climate crisis, global Islamopho- mate change and urge rich in China also arrived in Calgary, through an unbelievably difficult
bia and “the plunder of the countries to share 1 billion ending a diplomatic row that has ordeal. For the past 1,000 days,
developing world by their cor- doses of Covid-19 vaccines with poisoned ties for three years. they have shown strength, perse-
rupt elites” - the latter of which nations most in need. Meng and the two Canadians verance, resilience and grace,”
he likened to what the East India On Thursday, the 37-year-old - former diplomat Michael the Canadian PM said.
Company did to India. prince and Meghan, 40, visited Kovrig and businessman Mich- The “two Michaels” - as they
The cricketer-turned-politi- the city’s memorial for the Sep- ael Spavor - were detained in a have been dubbed by the media
cian was indignant and plaintive tember 11, 2001, attacks on the bitter spat that critics have called - were detained just days after
as he painted the United States World Trade Center. They were “hostage diplomacy”. Meng on what Ottawa has con-
as a country that abandoned accompanied by New York gov- Meng, the 49-year-old daugh- tended were “trumped up” espi-
both Pakistan and neighbouring ernor Kathy Hochul and New ter of Ren Zhengfei, the founder onage charges.
Afghanistan. Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob remotely addresses the UN General Assembly in New York City on Saturday. REUTERS York City mayor Bill de Blasio. of Chinese telecom giant Hua- China’s foreign ministry
“For the current situation in The couple quit their royal wei, was granted release in a spokeswoman Hua Chunying
Afghanistan, for some reason, gan, he said - during the Soviet end. There is a lot of worry in the ousted the elected government. But diplomats said China, duties last year and moved from Vancouver court hearing after said Meng’s detention was a case
Pakistan has been blamed for occupation of Afghanistan. But US about taking care of the inter- Competing claims have also Russia and the US had reached Britain to California, where they three years of house arrest in of persecution. “China’s position
the turn of events, by politicians Pakistan was left to pick up the preters and everyone who been made on Afghanistan’s UN an understanding, where Mos- live with their two children - Canada while fighting extradi- on the incident is consistent and
in the United States and some pieces - millions of refugees and helped the US,” he said, referring seat after the Taliban seized cow and Beijing will not object to two-year-old Archie and Lilibet, tion to the US. clear. Facts have long proved
politicians in Europe,” Khan new sectarian militant groups - to Afghanistan. “What about power last month. The ambassa- Kyaw Moe Tun remaining in who was born in June. It came hours after US prose- that this is a political persecution
said. “From this platform, I want when the Soviets and the Ameri- us?” Instead of a “word of appre- dor for the ousted Afghan gov- Myanmar’s UN seat for the Guterres also met with cutors announced an agreement against a Chinese citizen with
them all to know, the country cans left in 1989. ciation”, Pakistan has only ernment is set to give his speech moment as long as he does not Queen Maxima of the Nether- under which fraud charges the aim to oppress China’s high-
that suffered the most, apart Khan said the US sanctioned received blame, Khan rued. on Monday. speak during the meeting. lands on Thursday. against her are to be suspended tech companies.”
from Afghanistan, was Pakistan its former partner a year later, “At this point, Myanmar is not Dujarric said that “for now, and eventually dropped. She Washington had accused
when we joined the US war on but then came calling again after Myanmar won’t address, speaking,” UN spokesman Steph- the Afghanistan representative boarded a flight to Shenzhen, Meng of wire fraud and deceiv-
terror after 9/11 (the 2001 terror
attacks in the US).”
He launched into a narrative
that began with the US and Paki-
the 9/11 attacks. Khan said Paki-
stan’s help to the US cost 80,000
Pakistani lives and caused inter-
nal strife and dissent directed at
but Afghanistan will
No representative from Myan-
mar is scheduled to address the
General Assembly, a UN spokes-
ane Dujarric said. Myanmar’s
current UN ambassador Kyaw
Moe Tun - appointed by Aung
San Suu Kyi’s ousted govern-
inscribed on the list for Monday
is Mr. Ghulam M. Isaczai”. Isac-
zai is the current United Nations
ambassador, who represents
w
READ: PM Khan
says Pashtuns
returning to China for the first
time since her arrest at Vancou-
ver at the behest of US in 2018.
Meng received a red-carpet
ing HSBC bank, claiming she
tried to hide violations of US
sanctions on Iran by Huawei
affiliate Skycom. But on Friday,
stan training “mujahideen” - the state, all while the US con- man said on Friday, amid rival ment - had initially been Afghanistan’s government that welcome home. Huawei employ- US prosecutors settled for Meng
regarded as heroes by the likes of ducted drone attacks. claims for the country’s UN seat expected to address the General was recently ousted by the Tali- are Taliban-sympathisers ees waited on the airport tarmac agreeing to a statement of facts
then US president Ronald Rea- “So, when we hear this at the in New York after a military coup Assembly on Monday. ban group. waving China flags as a staffer in the case. In exchange, they
offered her a bouquet of flowers. agreed to defer the charges until
“Being an ordinary citizen, I 2022, and then drop them.

A
l { RETURN OF ARTEFACTS }
MERKEL MAKES
could not have secured my free-
dom without the support of my
beloved country, and the love of
With inputs from Anirudh
Bhattacharyya in Toronto and
Covid booster plan
in US supports our Modi to come back with 157 Indian antiquities FINAL PUSH FOR
SUCCESSOR AS
the Chinese people,” Meng said. Sutirtho Patranobis in Beijing

push, says Israel

GERMANY GOES
JERUSALEM: Israel is
pressing ahead with its
campaign of offering
Press Trust of India
[email protected]
countries between 1976 and
2013.
However, between 2014, TO POLLS TODAY Taliban hang up
anti-Covid boosters to NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Nar- when Modi came to power, and
almost anyone over 12
and says its approach
was further vindicated
endra Modi will bring home 157
artefacts and antiquities, which
were handed over to India by
2021, over 200 antiquities have
either returned or are in the
process of being returned, they
Agence France-Presse
[email protected]
kidnappers’ bodies
by a US decision to give
the shots to older
patients or those at
the US during his visit. Both
Modi and US President Joe
Biden expressed commitment
added. Between 2004 and 2014,
only one ancient antiquity
returned to India, the sources
AACHEN, GERMANY: Chancellor
Angela Merkel on Saturday
urged Germans to give her
in public in Herat
higher risk. Over 3mn of to strengthening efforts to com- said. would-be successor Armin Las-
Israel’s 9mn citizens bat theft, illicit trade and traf- Referring to the items chet their vote to shape Ger- Agencies tims were released unharmed,
have got a third dose of ficking of cultural objects. handed over to India by the US many’s future, in a last-ditch he said.
[email protected]
the Pfizer vaccine. AP While nearly half of the arte- during Modi’s ongoing trip, the push to shore up his beleaguered Herat resident Mohammad
facts (71) are cultural, the other official statement said they campaign 24 hours before Ger- KABUL: Taliban authorities in Nazir said he had been shopping
Eruptions shut half consists of figurines related largely belong to the period of mans vote. the western Afghan city of Herat for food near the city’s Mostofiat
to Hinduism (60), Buddhism 11th century to 14th Century as Laschet, 60, has been trailing killed four alleged kidnappers Square when he heard a loud-
airport on Spain’s (16) and Jainism (9), a statement well as historic antiquities such his Social Democrat challenger and hung their bodies up in pub- speaker announcement calling
volcanic island said on Saturday. Modi con- as a copper anthropomorphic Olaf Scholz in the race for the lic to deter others, a local gov- for people’s attention. “When I
MADRID: Clouds of thick veyed his appreciation for the object from 2000 BCE or a ter- chancellery, although final polls ernment official said on Satur- stepped forward, I saw they had
black ash from volcanic repatriation of antiquities to racotta vase from the 2nd Cen- put the gap between them within day. brought a body in a pickup truck,
eruptions in Spain’s India by the US. tury. Some 45 antiquities belong the margin of error, making the Sher Ahmad Ammar, deputy then they hung it up on a crane.”
Canaries archipelago The list of 157 artefacts to Before Common Era, it said. vote one of the most unpredicta- governor of Herat, said the men Footage of the bloodstained
forced the closure of the includes a one-and-a-half metre Their make spreads across ble in recent years. had kidnapped a businessman corpse, swinging on the crane
airport on La Palma bas relief panel of Revanta in metal, stone and terracotta, the Merkel had planned to keep a and his son and intended to take was widely shared on social
island on Saturday. The sandstone of the 10th Century, statement said. The bronze col- low profile in the election battle them out of the city when they media, showing a note pinned to
Cumbre Vieja volcano apart from an 8.5cm tall, exqui- lection primarily contains as she prepares to bow out of were seen by patrols that set up the man’s chest saying, “This is
came to life a week ago site bronze Nataraja from the ornate figurines of the well- politics after 16 years in power. checkpoints around the city. the punishment for kidnapping”.
and has intermittently 12th Century. known postures of Lakshmi But she has found herself An exchange of gunfire No other bodies were visible
spewed out lava and ash It is part of the efforts by the Narayana, Buddha, Vishnu, dragged into the campaign ensued in which all four were but social media posts said oth-
leading to the cancella- Modi government to bring back Shiva Parvathi and the 24 Jain schedule of the unpopular chair- killed, while one Taliban soldier ers were hung up in other parts
tion of all seven flights India’s antiquities and artefacts Tirthankaras. There are 56 ter- man of her party, Laschet. In the was wounded. “Their bodies of the city. According to the offi-
on Friday. “The airport from across the world, it said. racotta pieces and an 18th Cen- last week of the campaign, were brought to the main square cial Bakhtar news agency, eight
is closed,” said airport Government sources said that tury sword with sheath with Merkel took Laschet to her con- and hung up in the city as a les- kidnappers were also arrested in
operator Aena. AFP only 13 antiquities were inscription mentioning Guru Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks at artefacts handed over to stituency and on Friday head- son for other kidnappers,” he a separate incident in Uruzgan
retrieved by India from different Hargovind Singh in Persian. India by the US. They include antiquities and figurines. PTI lined the closing rally in Munich. said. The two kidnapping vic- province.

DELHI COURT GIVES

ANTICIPATORY BAIL
Chinese brand faces backlash over { KAMLA BHASIN } 1946-2021 POLICE LODGE FIR
IN BIHAR ACTIVIST
TO LJP MP PRINCE anti-India images on its clothes Pioneer of women’s movt dies at 75 MURDER PROBE
HTC & PTI Sutirtho Patranobis THE BRAND JNBY Who are you welcoming? And Dhamini Ratnam against dowry deaths to demon- Sandeep Bhaskar
all these images of purgatory … a strations that led to changes in
[email protected] [email protected] APOLOGISED AND child aged four wearing such a [email protected]
the way rape and sexual assault
[email protected]

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on BEIJING: A top Chinese clothing PULLED THE shirt. Just the thought of it dis- MUMBAI: Renowned feminist was prosecuted. “Kamla was one BETTIAH: A day after a 47-year-
Saturday granted anticipatory brand is facing backlash in CLOTHING LINE IN turbs me,” she was quoted as Kamla Bhasin died in the early of the pioneers of the women’s old RTI activist was shot dead in
bail to Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) China after one of its clothing saying by the Hong Kong-based hours of Saturday after bat- movement in not only India but Bihar’s East Champaran district,
MP Prince Raj. lines produced children’s clothes
QUESTION AFTER South China Morning Post tling cancer. She was 75. also South Asia,” said Jaipur- police on Saturday registered a
Special judge Vikas Dhull with images of people identified THE COMPLAINT OF (SCMP). Soon after her post went Born in 1946 in Shahidan- based Kavita Srivastava, general first information report (FIR)
granted the relief to Raj on a as Indians being shot at and A MOTHER WENT viral, another user shared the waali village in Punjab (now in secretary of the People’s Union of against unidentified persons,
bond of ₹1 lakh and one surety of phrases like “welcome to hell” photo of anti-India imagery. Pakistan), Bhasin’s appeal lay in Civil Liberties, Rajasthan. and detained a man for ques-
like amount, saying there was and “let me touch you”
VIRAL ON CHINESE “The whole place is full of her ability to talk to a roomful of she retired from in 2002. Bhasin also brought chants tioning. Police is questioning a
“unusual delay” in lodging the embossed on them. SOCIAL MEDIA Indians. I will take this gun and “anybodys”, as she once said — In 2004, she set up Sangat, a from feminist protests across man, identified as Uday Singh, in
FIR by the complainant. The brand JNBY apologised blow them to pieces,” the SCMP diplomats, television audience, South Asian Feminist Network the border. In an interview with connection with the murder of
“In the event of arrest of appli- and pulled the clothing line in Mogu Mogu on Chinese social report said, quoting a message feminists or children. The supported by Delhi-based femi- the HT in 2018, she recalled RTI (Right to Information) activ-
cant, investigating officer (IO)/ question after the complaint of a media, wrote that her family on a shirt. underlying message — imparted nist resource group Jagori that learning the slogan, “Meri ist Vipin Agrawal, said Pramod
station house officer of Con- mother went viral on Chinese bought one of the shirts for her The company has since apolo- to suit the audience — was Bhasin set up with other femi- behane maange Azaadi”, from Paswan, station house officer of
naught Place police station is social media this week. 4-year-old son. gised on the lifestyle-sharing app always one of gender justice. nists, including Abha Bhaiya, Pakistani feminists. She later Harshidih police station.
directed to release accused on A report in the state-run tab- She shared photos of a white Xiaohongshu. After working for four years Runu Chakravarty, Gauri improvised the words. “The “We have yet not reached any
his furnishing a personal bond of loid Global Times called the shirt with the images and “We apologise for the concern at Udaipur-based Seva Man- Choudhury, Sheba Chhacchi, words would change many conclusion. The interrogation is
₹1 lakh with one surety in the prints “inappropriate” and “hor- remarks in black, the meaning of caused to customers caused by dir, a rural non-governmental Manjari Dingwaney, and Jogin- times depending on what we underway,” Paswan said.
like amount,” the judge said. rific” but avoided mentioning which she realised only recently the design and will tighten regu- organisation, Bhasin joined der Panghaal, in 1984. Through were protesting against, dis- In the FIR, Vijay Agrawal, said
The woman, who claims she the anti-India images that were as it was bought by her son’s lation,” the company’s customer the Food and Agriculture the 1980s and 1990s, Bhasin was crimination on the basis of caste, his son, who had been working
was LJP worker, has accused Raj found on clothes made and sold grandparents who don’t speak service said on the official T-mall Organization (FAO) of the part of key feminist struggles in injustice to tribals or violence as an RTI activist since 2009,
of raping her while she was by JNBY. English. store of the brand, the Global United Nations in 1976 — a job the country, from protests against women,” Bhasin said. was killed as part of a conspiracy
unconscious. The woman, identified as “Welcome to hell. Excuse me? Times report reported. hatched by the local land mafia.
MUMBAI
SUNDAY
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 15
Sport
Holder heist
Of spin and other turns for
INDIA TO PLAY A
TEST AGAINST
fails, Kings win ENGLAND IN
SUMMER OF
Sanjjeev K Samyal
[email protected]

MUMBAI: In a Twenty20 game,

not many would give a side a
chance after being restricted to a
out David Warner and Kane
Williamson. Off the third ball of
the innings, he sent back
Warner, slashing outside off to
be caught behind. He followed it
up with the all-important wicket
Ashwin as Capitals go top 2022: REPORT
Agencies
[email protected]

LONDON: England and India

total of 125. It looked a lost cause of Williamson in the third over. have confirmed plans to play a
for Punjab Kings when they took Punjab’s defeat in their last Less than one month Test in England next summer,
the field against Sunrisers game against Rajasthan Royals away from the T20 reports said on Saturday. It has
Hyderabad in a crucial Indian was their own doing, failing to not been confirmed at this stage
Premier League game at the get four runs in the last six balls. World Cup, the whether it will be a standalone
Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sat- There was criticism of their off-spinner is quietly game or the final Test of the
urday. In a must-win situation in team selection as well. On Satur- series that was called off with
their remaining matches to stay day, there were three changes. ticking all the boxes India leading 2-1 following the
in contention for a play-off berth, Sprightly leg-spinner Ravi Bish- cancellation of the Manchester
a second straight defeat inside noi was back. He didn’t disap- Somshuvra Laha Test, ESPNcricinfo reported.
two days would have sounded point. After the good work of [email protected] Playing a Test will help the
the death knell. Shami, he kept up the pressure England board (ECB) avert the
Like so many times in his by taking the wickets of the KOLKATA: The first ball is so majority of the financial losses
career, Mohammed Shami again experienced Manish Pandey and quick through the air that David due to the cancellation, the
came to his team’s rescue. In an Kedar Jadhav. When he had Miller is struck on the pad try- report said. ECB chief executive
inspired opening burst of 3-1-5-2, Abdul Samad caught by Chris ing to nudge it. The second Tom Harrison had said a Test in
the class of the seam bowler Gayle, SRH were 60/5 after 13 comes off a rounder action, the summer of 2022 during
shone through as he brought overs. His figures read 3-0-13-3, prompting Miller to shimmy India’s limited-overs tour can
Punjab Kings back into the the equation 66 runs off 42 balls. down the pitch and swing but only be a “standalone” game.
game. It should have been an Bowling an aggressive line he misses and is stumped by The Board of Control for
easy win for SRH. Instead, they outside off-stump, Bishnoi Rishabh Pant. Ball Three is Cricket in India (BCCI) is explor-
ended up looking miserable bowled Pandey with a googly, shorter, allowing Mahipal Lom- ing ways to settle the issue after
chasing a low total. They were 20 Jadhav chopped the ball on to ror to squirt it through mid- ECB approached the Interna-
for two off six overs during the his stumps and Samad wicket for a couple. tional Cricket Council (ICC) to
powerplay. After 10 overs they was caught off a lead- Ravichandran Ashwin decide on the status of the
were 43/3, needing 83 off 60. ing edge trying to hit is quickly back at the series. BCCI president Sourav
Wriddhiman Saha was run out. The first-leg game top of his mark for the Ganguly wants the Test to be
out on the first ball of the 17th between the sides was next three---on middle part of the just-halted series.
over for 31 and at 92/6 after 16.1 played at Chennai’s M and leg, fuller on off- India players had raised con-
overs, SRH needed 35 off 23 A Chidambaram Sta- stump and finally giv- cerns of possible fresh cases in
balls, making it anybody’s game.
Jason Holder stood between
dium, with SRH win-
ning the low-scoring
IPL ing the ball some air
like a traditional spin-
the squad after a second physio
tested positive for Covid-19; the
PK and victory. He was the
bowler who had put the brakes
match. Though the
venue shifted to the
2021 ner. All three are dots.
This is the fifth over of
Test was then called off a couple
of hours before the toss. India’s
on the Kings innings with three Sharjah Stadium, the Rajasthan Royals’ three-match T20 series will
important wickets. He capped it pitch was similar—a innings, chasing 154/6 begin at Old Trafford on July 1
with a fine cameo with the bat. slow, spinning track. by Delhi Capitals (DC). They are with matches at Trent Bridge
The 6-foot 7-inch cricketer SRH had then restricted PK to 19/3 and Sanju Samson is left (July 3) and the Ageas Bowl
smashed four sixes to take it as 120 all out. In a repeat, they again with all to do in a tricky chase. (July 6). The ODIs will be played
close as 17 off six balls. He kept them down to 125 in 20 While you were still trying to at Edgbaston (July 9), the Oval
smashed the second ball of the overs. SRH pace bowlers Holder wrap your head around the con- (July 12) and Lord’s (July 14).
last over bowled by debutant and Sandeep Sharma, adept at founding decision to bench Ash-
Nathan Ellis for his fifth six and taking the pace off the wicket, win for four consecutive Tests, Players’ role denied in
needed to hit a six off the final made life miserable for the bat- he’s back doing his thing: flip- England’s Pak pullout
ball to tie the scores. Holder ters. Holder had figures of 4-0- ping the carrom ball, manoeu- England cricketers had no role
couldn’t get the elevation on the 19-3, Sharma complemented him vring the crease, aiming for the in the decision to abandon their
last ball. The five-run win kept with a performance of 4-0-20-1. stumps and making the batter October tour of Pakistan, their
King’s hopes alive this IPL. Brief Scores: Punjab Kings 125/7 toil for every run. Ashwin com- Ravichandran Ashwin returned 4-0-20-1 against Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, taking his 250th T20 wicket. PTI union has said. New Zealand
It’s no secret how much SRH (A Markram, J Holder 3/19) beat ing into his own in T20 abruptly abandoned their tour
depend on their overseas bats- Sunrisers Hyderabad 120/7 in 20 shouldn’t be news, considering 40-degree heat, Avesh Khan packed off-side field more often with stock balls that chase the against Sunrisers, his first four minutes before the opening fix-
men. SRH were off to the kind of overs (W Saha 31, J Holder 47*, M how Ashwin became Ashwin averaged 7.25 per over, Kagiso but he was never again allowed batters, Ashwin is getting more balls being two boundaries ture in Rawalpindi, citing a
start they dreaded. By the end of Shami 2/14, R Bishnoi 3/24). PK because of this format. But in Rabada 6.5, Anrich Nortje 4.5 the length for it. The change in dot balls now. On Saturday, he bookending a no-ball and a security alert. England followed
the third over, Shami had prized won by five runs. what has been a strange year and Axar Patel 6.75 in Delhi’s pace has been subtle but effec- bowled 12 of them. The match wide. But as this match showed, suit, calling off their men’s and
that saw him miss the cut 33-run win that propelled them tive as well. This is one area before that, four out of 17 deliv- he has been quick on the come- women’s teams tour of Paki-
despite going the extra yard for to the top of the table with 16 where Ashwin has been confus- eries were dots. back. We don’t know how he stan, citing players’ “mental and
it, getting to bowl and taking points from 10 matches. Ash- ing batters a lot. Last match Where he is really messing will finally shape up for the T20 physical well-being”.
wickets may well have assumed win’s 4-0-20-1 looks equally dev- against Sunrisers Hyderabad, with the batters though is in his World Cup and whether he will Team England Player Part-
a new happiness for him. So less astating and yet it’s much more he averaged 93km/hr, his quick- expansive, often quirky, use of be again ignored despite doing nership (TEPP), which repre-
than a month away from the than that when you break it est clocking 99.6km/hr and the the bowling crease. The wide- the hard yards. Until then, sents England’s international
T20 World Cup, he is quietly down to understand how his slowest nearly 84kmph. When of-the-pitch variant to left-hand- watch him conjure six types of players, said the cricketers were
ticking all the boxes while find- brain works. you see Patel---quite possibly ers is a tried and tested winner balls in an over, underspinning not asked for input. “At no stage
ing his rhythm. Being able to set his fields the quickest Indian spinner but against right-handers, Ash- it, reverse-carroming it, bowling did TEPP inform the ECB that
One wicket in five games at help. As does the competitive now---average 96km/hr with win is mixing it up by coming military-medium, giving it some the players would not be tour-
an economy of 7.73 was Ash- streak that eggs him to stay 101.2km/hr being his quickest in from both sides of the wicket, air and then quickly pulling ing,” TEPP chair Richard Bevan
win’s tournament aggregate ahead of the batter every ball. So the same match, you know Ash- often running in from wide and back the length. Few do it as told ESPNcricinfo on Friday. “At
when he left the IPL bio-bubble when Samson was possibly win has transitioned well. releasing the ball almost in well as him. no stage has the ECB ever asked
earlier in India to be with his guessing Ashwin would target Always indisputable however front of the umpire. He did that Brief scores: Delhi Capitals TEPP or the teams, men and
family. By no means was it his legs after he had reverse- is Ashwin’s craft, landing the last match with some degree of 154/6 (Shreyas Iyer 43, Shimron women, whether the tour
great. But having a multidimen- swept the previous delivery out- ball where he wants and wield- success. Hetmyer 28, Mustafizur should go ahead or whether
sional attack allows DC to not side off-stump for a boundary, ing almost complete control on All of this might make more Rahman 2/22, Chetan Sakariya players were prepared to tour
rely on one bowler too much. Ashwin pitched it in the same the kind of deviation he wants sense and yield more results as 2/33) beat Rajasthan Royals Pakistan. It is 100% incorrect to
Saturday was one such day. On spot. Hitting Ashwin for a six off it. The loopier version the tournament progresses. 121/6 (Sanju Samson 70*, Anrich suggest TEPP intervened to say
Ravi Bishnoi (R) of Punjab Kings took three wickets. PTI a slow Abu Dhabi pitch in emboldened Lomror to exploit a remains the go-to delivery. But Ashwin didn’t have a great start Nortje 2/18 by 33 runs. the players would not tour.”

Atletico suffer shock loss to Alaves ‘HOPEFUL THAT

HARDIK WILL BE
FIT AGAINST RCB’
Man City beat Chelsea;
Aston Villa stun United
Agencies a Serie A scoresheet when Dan- 3-1 win at last-placed Greuther
iel Maldini netted in a 2-1 win for Furth in the Bundesliga.
[email protected] Press Trust of India
AC Milan over Spezia on his first Lewandowski, who hit the
MADRID: La Liga’s reigning league start for the club. crossbar in the 40th minute, also [email protected]
champions lost to the bottom The 19-year-old followed in missed out on equaling Gerd
club on Saturday as Atletico the footsteps of his father Paolo Muller’s record of scoring in 16 DUBAI : Mumbai Indians Agence France-Presse
Madrid’s rocky start to the sea- and grandfather Cesare, two Bundesliga games in a row. Director of Cricket Operations,
[email protected]
son continued with a shock 1-0 Milan greats, by scoring in Italy’s Zaheer Khan on Saturday
defeat at Alaves. top flight with a 48th-minute Brazil confident of PL exuded confidence that all- LONDON: Manchester City ended
Victor Laguardia’s header in header, which sent the Rosson- players for WC qualifiers rounder Hardik Pandya will be their Chelsea hoodoo on Satur-
the fourth minute was enough eri top of the table. RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil coach fit to play in their next game day, beating the European cham-
for an unexpected victory for Daniel Maldini Stefano Pioli opted to hand Tite has called eight Premier against Royal Challengers Ban- pions 1-0 while Bruno Fernandes
Alaves, who sat 20th at kick-off, Maldini his first start, and it paid League players for three rounds galore on Sunday after missing missed a last-gasp penalty in
after losing all their first five in defence, and other situations.” off when the teenager got in of South American World Cup the title holder’s first two games Manchester United’s shock 1-0
games and failing to score in any Simeone again started with front of his marker to head in qualifying matches in October. of the UAE leg of IPL. Pandya defeat by Aston Villa.
of their previous four. Antoine Griezmann alongside Pierre Kalulu’s cross after the The move comes one month has been suffering a niggle. Gabriel Jesus’ second-half
For Atletico, a first loss of the Suarez up front, but the pair break, following a first half lack- after England-based clubs “He (Hardik) has started strike proved decisive for Pep
season laid bare their problems mustered only one shot between ing in chances. refused to allow their footballers practicing, that’s what I can Guardiola’s men, who gained a
in attack. Diego Simeone’s side them, from Suarez, with Griez- to travel due to British govern- share with you guys. So, we are measure of revenge for three
have managed only two wins mann outshone by Angel Correa Lewandowski’s scoring ment COVID-19 protocols. hopeful that he (Hardik) will be consecutive defeats by Chelsea,
from their last six games in all when the Argentinian was streak for Bayern ends Brazil will play Venezuela on fit and available. That’s what we including a loss in the Champi-
competitions and this was the brought on in the second half. BERLIN: For once, Robert Lewan- October 7 in Caracas, Colombia are hoping,” the former India ons League final in Porto.
third time in four matches that dowski didn’t score. The Poland three days later in Barranquilla pacer said at the pre-match con- The win lifted the defending
they have failed to score. “Obvi- Maldini scores on full star’s club-record scoring streak and then host Uruguay on Oct 14 ference on Saturday. champions to 13 points alongside Manchester United's Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes
ously we lacked ideas,” said Sim- debut as AC Milan go top for Bayern Munich ended at 19 in Manaus. Brazil’s football con- TV timings: CSK v KKR, Liverpool, Chelsea and United, missed a penalty in the dying minutes against Aston Villa. AFP
eone. “I don’t think it’s a system MILAN: One of Italian football’s consecutive games when he federation has asked for quaran- 3.30pm, RCB v MI, 7.30pm; who conceded a late goal to Villa
problem. It’s about aggression, most famous names returned to failed to get a goal in his team’s tine waivers to the government. live on Star Sports defender Kortney Hause before is doing it as a team and as a Maguire and Luke Shaw to inju-
suffering the agony of the missed unit. It’s like last season. Sergio ries in front of watching England
spot-kick. (Aguero, who has left the club) boss Gareth Southgate.
Guardiola said this week that was injured all year and we won United manager Ole Gunnar

Norris takes maiden pole at Russian GP

his side lacked a “weapon” to the Premier League.” Solskjaer, whose side have lost
match Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku Villa arrived at Old Trafford three of their past four matches
or United’s Cristiano Ronaldo to with a woeful record of one win in all competitions criticised the
decide games inside the box. But in their previous 45 Premier way Fernandes was surrounded
Jesus ultimately made the differ- League games against Manches- before his penalty. “First of all
Agence France-Presse fitted new front wing to his dam- Max Verstappen, who leads become F1’s first century man. ence for City, who could have ter United, including 33 defeats. the way they get round the pen-
aged Mercedes. A spin on his Hamilton by five points ahead of “I think with Lewis we can won more convincingly but for a The home side, boasting a alty spot, get round Bruno and
[email protected]
re-emergence out onto the cir- this 15th round of the season, still win this race,” said Mer- combination of wasteful finish- star-studded attack including that, that’s not to my liking,” he
SOCHI, RUSSIA: Lando Norris cuit on slick tyres left the door starts from the back of the grid cedes team principal Toto Wolff. ing and some impressive last- Ronaldo, Fernandes, Paul Pogba said. “Bruno is usually very good
celebrated his maiden Formula open for 21-year-old Norris to due to an engine change penalty ditch defending. and Mason Greenwood had 28 in those positions and unfortu-
One pole and gave his McLaren steal the show at Sochi with a fly- on his Red Bull. “As I will be Teenage cousin of Vinales Jesus got the break City shots. Just when it appeared the nately he missed this one. It
team their first since 2012 in ing last lap of 1:41.993sec. starting from the back of the grid dies after race crash deserved in the 53rd minute as game was drifting towards a doesn’t get in Bruno’s head. He’s
a stunning outcome to Satur- “Oh boy. It feels amazing. anyway, we decided to take no PARIS: Spanish motorcyclist his effort deflected off Jorginho draw, Villa’s Hause flicked a strong mentally and he’ll step
day’s qualifying for the Russian Manic session,” beamed the risks and to skip qualifying,” the Dean Berta Vinales was killed on to leave goalkeeper Edouard near-post header beyond David forward again.”
Grand Prix. Briton, fresh from his team’s first Dutch driver tweeted. Saturday during a race at the Mendy flat-footed. The visitors de Gea from a Douglas Luiz cor- Results: Chelsea 0 lost to
Norris is joined on the front one-two in over a decade at the Lando Norris Hamilton, meanwhile, will be Jerez circuit in Spain Superbike had chances to double their lead, ner in the 88th minute. Manchester City 1 (Jesus 53);
row by the Ferrari of Carlos Italian Grand Prix. “We made counting on exploiting Verstap- organisers announced. with Jack Grealish drawing a Minutes later he went from Manchester United 0 lost to
Sainz, his former teammate, the decision to go slicks, you mate when he replaces Valtteri pen’s penalty to the fullest at the The 15-year-old, a cousin of sharp save before Jesus was hero to villain when he handled Aston Villa 1 (Hause 88); Everton
with Lewis Hamilton starting on never think you will get pole Bottas at Mercedes next season. circuit on the shores of the Black MotoGP rider Maverick Vinales, denied a second by Thiago Fernandes’ cross but the United 2 (Townsend 29-pen, Doucoure
the second row in his latest until you get it,” he added. “It is crazy. Second time in the Sea where he has already won was involved in an accident dur- Silva’s goal-line clearance while playmaker sent his spot-kick 77) beat Norwich 0; Leeds 1
attempt at reaching 100 wins. The refreshingly different top three in three or four events, four times with Mercedes unde- ing the first race of the Thomas Tuchel’s team failed to high over the bar—just the sec- (Raphinha 19) lost to West Ham 2
Hamilton was looking good complexion of the top of the grid the team have done an amazing feated since the race first WorldSSP300 class and died of muster a single shot on target. ond time he has failed to score (Firpo 67-og, Antonio 90);
for pole after topping the time- was completed by George Rus- job,” said the 22-year-old refer- appeared on the calendar in chest and head injuries. This was “Sometimes we believe we from a penalty in 23 attempts for Leicester 2 (Vardy 37, 85) drew
sheets in Q1 and Q2 but he then sell of Williams. He posted the ring to a brilliant qualifying ses- 2014. Stuck on 99 wins since Sil- his first season competing in the need a proper striker to finish, the club. It was a second home with Burnley 2 (Vardy 12-og,
suffered late drama with three third quickest time to start sion at Spa to gain his first verstone on July 18 the world class. He was racing for the Vina- but the important thing is the defeat of the week for United and Cornet 40); Watford 1 (Sarr 72)
minutes left of Q3 when he hit alongside seven-time world podium in the rain-ruined Bel- champion will hope his car’s les Racing Team, managed by way we play,” Guardiola told the a first in the Premier League this drew with Newcastle 1
the pit wall requiring a hastily champion Hamilton, his team- gian Grand Prix. race pace will see him finally Angel Vinales, Maverick’s father. BBC. “The most important thing season while they also lost Harry (Longstaff 23)
16 Sport SEPTEMBER 26, 2021
MUMBAI
SUNDAY

Ryder Cup: US stretch lead over Europe

Agencies 14 points to retain the Cup. come was the same. World No. 2 eral US players say he helped
For the second straight day, Dustin Johnson and reigning inspire them to a big lead in the
[email protected]
Sergio Garcia and world No. 1 British Open champion Collin first day. Woods sent a group
SHEBOGYAN, US: The United Jon Rahm were Europe’s only Morikawa, both two-time Major text through captain Steve
States kept the pedal down on foursomes winners, rallying champions, went 1-up on the Stricker to American players,
Saturday, winning three of four from 3-down through five holes opening hole and were as many saying he was behind them in
morning foursomes to take a to beat four-time Major winner as 4-up on the way to a 2&1 vic- their battle to regain the cup.
whopping 9-3 lead over Europe Brooks Koepka and Daniel Ber- tory over Paul Casey and Tyrrell “The gist of basically what he
in their quest to regain golf’s ger 3&1 in the opening match. Hatton. said was I’m cheering you guys
Ryder Cup. But the European fightback Jordan Spieth and Justin on, I’m right there with you and
Captain Steve Stricker’s Amer- ended there as the Americans Thomas were 3-down through go fight and make us proud,”
icans were coming off a domi- rallied to win two more matches six and 1-down through 13 Tony Finau said.
nant opening day at Whistling and led all the way to victory in a against Viktor Hovland and
Straits, their 6-2 lead their larg- third. Stricker sent out the same Bernd Wiesberger but won three Aditi in fifth place
est day-one margin in 46 years. foursomes duos he used on Fri- straight holes from the 14th ROGERS: A flawless six-under 65
The US were more than half- day, while European captain through the 16th and beat the gave Indian golfer Aditi Ashok a
way to the 14.5 points they need Padraig Harrington rang the European rookies 2-up flying start in the first round of
to reclaim the coveted trophy changes, notably sitting down the Walmart NW Arkansas
and deny Europe a fifth triumph Ian Poulter and Rory McIlroy. Woods inspires Championship. Aditi had six
in six editions. Despite some promising Former world No.1 Tiger Woods birdies and no bogeys as she was
As holders, Europe need only moments for Europe, the out- isn’t at Whistling Straits, but sev- two shots behind the leaders.

Shubhankar Sharma has made the cut in his last eight starts and achieved two top-10s and two top-20s in this run. GETTY

Shubhankar breaks it up
to rediscover his old touch
der par 63, my lowest score in a
In danger of losing his
European Tour card,
On comeback trail long, long time. That round gave
me so much confidence and I
Sharma has set small
targets each round to
WORLD
RANKING 293 BEST
RANKING 64 (2018)
have managed to carry that
momentum from there on.”
The turnaround has been
impressive. Sharma has made all
turn things around RECENT SURGE CAREER HIGHS eight cuts in his last eight starts,
including two top-10s, two top-
BMW PGA Championship T9 Maybank Championship, 2018 Winner
Joy Chakravarty 20s and two top-30s. From 449,
Cazoo Classic T9 Joburg Open, 2017 Winner his world ranking has improved
[email protected]
Italian Open T12 Hong Kong Open, 2018 T6 to No 293, and on the European
DUBAI: As Shubhankar Sharma Hero Open T16 Italian Open, 2019 T7 Tour, he is now guaranteed a
boarded Virgin’s Saturday even- card for 2022, having jumped to
ing service to London at the end Dutch Open T27 Turkish Open, 2019 T7 No 78 from 128.
of his Scottish Open campaign in Handa World Invitational T30 WGC-Mexico Championship, 2018 T9 Sharma has continued to
July, his mind was in a churn. Cazoo Open T32 BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, 2021 T9 make birdies by the dozen, add-
It just seemed inexplicable ing another 126 in his last 32
European Masters T50 Maybank Championships, 2017 T9
that someone who was right up rounds. At an average of 3.937, it
there in terms of number of bird- is lower than what he was get-
ies made in the 2021 season of airport on Saturdays. They also took another inno- ting before the Wales Open, but
the European Tour was heading It definitely did not help that vative—and as it turned out, crit- he has also, remarkably, made 10
home earlier after yet another Sharma was living out of a suit- ical—decision: to play mini eagles in that period. That gives
missed cut – his eighth in 16 case and inside the COVID-19 games inside the game. him a better rate of making
starts. At No128 in the Race to bubble for almost four continu- “We thought that instead of eagles than 2021 PGA Tour
Dubai Rankings (the Order of ous months. With India strug- having long-term plans, let’s leader Bryson DeChambeau. The
Merit for the European Tour), gling with the deadly second have very short-term plans. We American star—who is at least
the 25-year-old two-time cham- wave and the severe travel made it all fun and games. For 35-40 yards longer than Sharma
pion was on the verge of losing restrictions, it would have been example, we’d start a round and off the tee (in fact, the longest
his playing privilege on the tour pointless for him to go back to say we don’t want to make any driver in the world)—made 19 in
(his three-year exemption for Chandigarh and enjoy some bogies in the first four holes. If 83 rounds, thus making one
winning the Maybank Champi- home comfort even when he had we achieved that, we’d have a eagle every 75.8 holes. Compara-
onship runs out this season), and his weeks off. But something mini celebration and then move tively, Sharma is making an
his official world golf ranking happened on the way back to to the next game. It could be that eagle every 57.6 holes since Scot-
had fallen from an all-time high London, and the one week I’d hit the next four holes in reg- land. The only thing missing
of 64 to 449. forced break as he had failed to ulation, or I will birdie at least right now is a win. His last one
Right from the opening round qualify for the Open Champion- one of the two par-5s coming was on February 2018 (Maybank
he played in the Abu Dhabi ship at Royal St George’s. up,” said Sharma. Championship). But Sharma is
HSBC Championship on January “I was quite happy with The immediate result was biding his time with patience
21, it had been a perplexing year. the way I was playing, but I that Sharma stayed focused on and confidence.
He started on the 10th tee with just wasn’t getting the scores each hole through the round, his “I am so much better as a
back-to-back birdies, and then that I thought I deserved. So, mind off his 18-hole scores or his player now. My short game is
finished with double bogeys on after the Scottish, I sat down position in the tournament. better, my shot-shaping ability is
the seventh and ninth holes. with Lyle (Phillips, his caddie “I did not want to lose my little better, my ball flight is better. I
What promised to be a spectacu- since June), and we decided to games, and the round just took am a better player in the wind
lar opening round had turned change a few things,” said care of itself,” he said. and I have the experience of
into a disappointing 76. Sharma over the phone. It helped in July at the Cazoo playing in varied conditions,” he
The trend of solid, birdie-filled “I felt I had some issues with Open in Wales for example, said. “But what I am most happy
rounds turning ugly with a cou- my neck and shoulders. It didn’t when, after two solid rounds, his about is my patience. I know I
ple of nightmarish holes contin- feel like an injury – I just felt game abandoned him on Satur- have the ability to win, but I am
ued almost seven months and tired and stiff. So, I told myself day with a six-over par 77. not chasing wins. I am chasing
into the Scottish Open. In that that I wanted to feel fresh for “I did a great job of disassoci- routines and consistency. I am
period, he made 191 birdies in 47 every round and for the whole ating myself from the round that very close to a win and if I win
rounds for a very healthy aver- round. I started spending more day. I went to the range and hit once, it will happen again and
age of 4.06. Those numbers time at the gym, and I started some balls, and I was very calm again. It will happen soon.”
should have seen him contend- specific exercises to release, despite that horrible round,”
ing for titles on Sunday and not stretch and activate my shoulder Sharma said. “In the final round, Joy Chakravarty is a golf journalist
heading to the nearest station or area. That helped a lot.” I came out and shot an eight-un- who tweets @TheJoyofGolf

Indian archery teams

settle for silver medals
Press Trust of India the 2021 season after finishing
runner-up at the WTA 250
[email protected]
Cleveland event last month.
YANKTON, USA : The Indian
women’s and mixed pair com- Isner, Shapovalov earn
pound archery teams signed off point for Team World
with silver medals after lop- BOSTON: The doubles pairing of
sided losses to Colombia at the American John Isner and Denis
World Championships here. Shapovalov of Canada notched
India, though, are still up the first win for Team World
searching for a maiden gold in the Laver Cup on Friday with
from the event. Team Europe enjoying a 3-1 lead
The star Indian mixed pair after the opening day.
duo of Abhishek Verma and Isner and Shapovalov
Jyothi Surekha Vennam, who defeated German Alexander
stood fourth in the ranking Zverev and Italian Matteo Ber-
round, started off with a one- rettini 4-6, 7-6(2), 10-1. Matteo
point lead but then lost its dom- Berrettini, Casper Ruud and
inance to go down by a four- Andrey Rublev had earlier won
point margin (150-154). their respective singles matches
The seventh seeded women’s for Team Europe.
team of Jyothi, Muskan Kirar Team Europe is trying to
and Priya Gurjar, on the other claim ts fourth consecutive
hand, lost by a margin of five Laver Cup after previous wins
points (224-229) against the in 2019 (Geneva), 2018 (Chicago)
troika of Sara Lopez, Alejandra and 2017 (Prague).
Usquiano and Nora Valdez.
Bengaluru storm into
Sania reaches final in Durand Cup semi-finals
Ostrava with Zhang KOLKATA: Bengaluru FC entered
OSTRAVA: Veteran Indian tennis the semi-finals of the Durand
player Sania Mirza reached her Cup after edging past Army
second WTA final of the season Green 3-2 here on Saturday in a
with partner Shuai Zhang fol- closely-fought contest. They
lowing a straight-sets victory face FC Goa in the second semi-
over Makoto Nonomiya and Eri final on Wednesday.
Hozumi at the Ostrava Open Wungngayam Muirang (20th
here on Saturday. minute), Leon Augustine (47th)
The second seeded Indo-Chi- and Namgyal Bhutia (74th)
nese duo defeated the Japanese scored for Bengaluru while
pair 6-2, 7-5 in the semi-finals. Lallawmkima (9th) and Vibin
The 34-year-old Sania has a TV (89th) found the target for
chance to win her first title of Army Greens.
Sunday, September 26, 2021 n4 PAGES. f @HTCITY t @HTCITY i @HTCITY y /USER/HT. ENTERTAINMENT & PROMOTIONAL FEATURES

PHOTO: AMAL KS/HT

‘Both
City Mumbai
SPICY INDIAN
FOOD GOES
RIGHT UP MY
theatres PHOTO:
FACEBOOK/
ALLEY: BALOR
Sugandha Rawal have a couple of great Indian the Universal Championship.

and OTTs
FINNBALOR

[email protected]
guys at the performance I keep getting asked the same
centre... I have spoken to question, even five years later
orld Wrestling them many times. I feel like - What would have happened

will have
ups and
W Entertainment
(WWE) star
Finn Balor
feels there are
many similarities between
the cultures of Ireland (his
there’s a lot of similarities in
Irish culture and Indian
culture about how we value
our families.”
Balor feels the “WWE fans
in India are exceptional”.
in 2016 if Finn had not gotten
hurt? That had put a huge
‘what if’ through my career. I
want to close that chapter
with this match and become
the Universal Champion,”
P motherland) and India.
“I love India. I was in India
“They are fantastic. They are
very vocal on Twitter and
roars the star while stressing
that he doesn’t ponder about

downs’ It’s a slow start for

theatres. But,
in 2018, and I think we were
on the ground for 12 hours.
The energy in New
Instagram with their support,
and that is the reason I am
excited to return to India
his past.
From John Cena to
Dwayne Johnson and Dave

Rishabh Suri
hopefully, people will Delhi was
incredible. I adore
when I can,” he shares.
At the moment, Balor is all
Bautista, WWE champions
are having a great career in
[email protected]
go out while Indian food. set to return with his alter Hollywood. Is that something
Anything ego, The Demon, after two that he would like to explore
dil Hussain was among the first
maintaining Covid spicy is years, for a fight with too, we ask. “That is

A crop of Indian actors — in the

middle of the pandemic in 2020
— to venture out and shoot a
project, BellBottom. The movie saw a
theatrical release earlier this year and is
protocols.
ADIL HUSSAIN, Actor
right up my
alley,” Balor tells
us in an exclusive
interview.
The 40-year-old adds, “We
Universal Champion Roman
Reigns, to reclaim the title
today, at WWE Extreme Rules,
aired on Sony Ten 1.
“I have a long history with
something that I haven’t
thought about,” he laughs
while stressing that
Hollywood is not on the
horizon anytime soon.
now available on an OTT platform. it is almost like a festival. I hope both
Ask him what he feels about the will survive. It is a slow start for
frequent debate surrounding the new- theatres. But, hopefully, people will go

Archana gh,
age OTT vs the traditional theatre setup out while maintaining Covid protocols.” PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/ARCHANAPURANSINGH
and the 57-year-old says, “Both will From the decision to film it during Rishabh Suri readily available on the internet, the
have their ups and downs. On OTT, you the pandemic to being one of the first actor feels that it will be a task to hide

Puran Sin’t
can see a film at your own time, on a big-budget movies that opted for a rchana Puran Singh doesn’t one’s real age. “You can just search
hand-held device, at your own desire. It theatrical release, Hussain calls
A understand why people hide their everything. I don’t believe in hiding my

59, doesn
has its own benefits and fun quotient. BellBottom his “riskiest film” so far. He age. More so, if they are in age,” she shares and laughs, “What do
You can choose the platform and a film says, “Despite all precautions during its showbiz. The actor, who turns 59 today, they think, children are 25 and you’re
of choice and watch it at your own filming... the question — ‘Am I making shares that many people also hide their still 16?(sic).”

believe inr
pace.” He calls this a “big connection” the right decision?’ — was constantly real birthday and celebrate being of the Recalling the first birthday party she
between the audience and the content. running at the back of my mind. But, we same age over and over again. “In the 40 threw after becoming an actor, she says,
However, he also admits that the big cannot live in fear and we have to live years of my career, I have never had a “I was at a restaurant, adjusting my

hiding he
screen experience is nothing short of a with Covid. We don’t have to do things if secretary or agent. I just had one dress... the door opened, and someone
celebration. “Seeing a film on the big we don’t want to. Keep yourself manager, Jeet, but for a brief period. entered with a huge bouquet. I couldn’t
screen, the magic of it… the rituals - the safe, it’s more important.” When people used to ask my age, I’d say see and asked, ‘Kaun laya hai?’ and
choosing of clothes to venture out, etc.
Maharashtra age 20 or 21. She (manager) would stop me.
I’d say, ‘It’s just 20, not 40’. She’d reply,
‘Nahin, aaj 20 bologe toh log hisaab
suddenly from behind came a voice,
‘Hum laaye hain’. It turned out to be
Amit ji (Amitabh Bachchan). I was like,
CM Uddhav Thackeray lagayenge 10 saal baad 30 hai’. This was ‘Amit ji aap 7 baje aa gaye’, he said,
announced that the general trend,” recounts Singh.
Today, when all the information is
‘Aapne 7 baje bulaya toh hum 7 baje hi
aayenge na!’(laughs)”.
cinema halls in the state will
PHOTO:
ANDREW
reopen from Oct 22. The first
BOYERS/
REUTERS
big release after reopening to
be the Akshay Kumar-starrer
STOP Sooryavanshi on Diwali.
PRESS

Being a ‘die-hard fan’

helped Amit compose
T20 WC anthem
Soumya Vajpayee Amit Trivedi has
[email protected]
created the anthem
for the upcoming
ricket aficionados can’t wait to cricket world cup

C watch their favourite teams

battle it out at the T20 World
Cup, next month. But, the
momentum has already started
building up, thanks to the official
anthem, Live The Game, composed
by Amit Trivedi.
“Like they say, cricket is a religion
for Indians. Since I am a die-hard
cricket fan, it helped me immerse
myself completely while creating
the anthem,” Trivedi tells us. international audience in mind, and think of all the latest beats, upbeat
Talking about composing the that’s why the anthem is in English,” and energetic music. The anthem is
anthem, the 42-year-old says he was says Trivedi, who got singers Sharvi peppy, sporty and groovy. Creating
asked to come up with a track that Yadav and Anand Bhaskar on board something for the younger
would garner the attention of the for the vocals. generation was a wonderful
younger generation, between 15 and Trivedi goes on to say he wanted experience. It took us around
20 years of age. to bring to the fore a track the youth one-and-a-half months to make the
“I was also asked to keep the could connect to. “I was trying to song,” he shares.

Chunky
Panday
PHOTO:
‘I faded into oblivion, but
I kept my spirits high’
YOGEN SHAH

Titas Chowdhury realised I should call myself a

[email protected]
happy joker!” quips Panday,
who turns 59 today. And this
f I had to relive my life, I’d one will be a working birthday

I do the exact same things,”

says Chunky Panday,
looking back at his 35-year-
for the actor. “I had earlier
planned to take the girls
somewhere and have a
NOTE TO
READERS: Some
long career in films. The actor, destination birthday. But of the coverage
who made his debut with Aag currently, Ananya (daughter, that appears on
Hi Aag (1987), says he has no actor), Bhavana (wife) and I are our pages is
regrets, and adds, “I’ve enjoyed busy shooting,” he says. paid for by the
concerned
the ups, downs, laughter, pain, Ask what his mantra would brands. No
excitement and adventure. It be going forward, and Panday sponsored
has been a game of hits and says, “I treat life as a game of content does or
misses, like a casino.” cricket. The idea is to stay at shall appear in
What has helped him tackle the crease and bat. I’ve seen all any part of HT
the brickbats is his happy-go- shades of life as a hero. I faded without it being
lucky attitude. “I like to make into oblivion and came back. declared as such
people happy. I was watching But, I have always kept my to our valued
readers.
Mera Naam Joker (1970) and head and spirits high.”
02 time out MUMBAI
SUNDAY
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

{ YOUR TAROT THIS WEEK } Manisha Koushik is a renowned tarot card reader and astrologer.
Manisha Koushik
September 26- She can be contacted at: +91-9650015920
Email: [email protected]; Website: www.askmanisha.com
October 2, 2021

ARIES MAR 21-APR 20 CANCER JUN 22-JUL 22 LIBRA SEP 24-OCT 23 CAPRICORN DEC 22-JAN 21

Love: The Star Mood: Judgement Love: The Empress Mood: The Moon Love: Ace of Wands Mood: The Hanged Man Love: Two of Coins Mood: The Fool
Career: The Magician Career: Ace of Swords Career: The Fool Career: The Magician
With your high confidence you will be able to A promising time for ambitious professionals Those in PR or marketing firms may have to You may have to put in extra effort to ensure
cross all hurdles on the work front, paving way to demonstrate technical skills to move ahead toil hard to meet client’s satisfaction, but completion of important project on time at
for promotion or increment. Handsome in career. Seek expert guidance to invest success is assured. Adopting a practical workplace. Handsome profits accrue for those
returns on short-term deposits are indicated. returns from past investment to make profit. approach will enable you to tie up loose ends involved in export-import trade. Good
Getting into the grip of things on the Success on the academic front is foretold as on the financial front. Organising an event or performance on academic front may open
Ajay Devgn academic front is likely to give you much Ranveer Singh you keep up the hard work and dedication. Ranbir Kapoor function at home may take up your time. Deepika Padukone many new doors for you. Romance is likely to
confidence. Roadblock in the matrimonial Indications of getting positive response in Those looking for new romance may get to bloom as you may get positive response to
alliance of kin may get clearance. Search for a romance appear strong. Health remains good, meet an interesting person. Your search for a your proposal. Accompanying someone on an
caring romantic partner is likely to end. as you keep yourself active. suitable house or plot may come to an end. exciting outing is indicated.
Lucky Number: 3 Lucky Colour: Beige Lucky Number: 18 Lucky Colour: Magenta Lucky Number: 7 Lucky Colour: Lemon Lucky No: 17 Lucky Colour: Electric Grey

TAURUS APR 21-MAY 20 LEO JUL 23-AUG 23 SCORPIO OCT 24-NOV 22 AQUARIUS JAN 22-FEB 19

Love: The Hierophant Mood: King of Wands Love: The Fool Mood: Eight of Coins Love: The Hermit Mood: Seven of Wands Love: Wheel of Fortune Mood: The Sun
Career: Page of Cups Career: Three of Swords Career: The Tower Career: Eight of Cups
Subordinates are likely to help in completing Those looking to switch careers are likely to You may need to give chance to a new Be open and transparent while reviewing
pending project on time on professional front. find lucrative and prosperous offers coming subordinate to prove his or her competence progress and work of subordinates on the
You are likely to receive delayed arrears and their way. Gains from past speculations are on on the professional front. Expert guidance will professional front. Financially you will have to
dues. You will need to overcome tough the cards. Finding the right study circle may prove beneficial in sorting out doubts and be more conscious about saving money for
competition on the academic front. Some of Anushka Sharma pose a problem for some. Exciting time indi- Kajol confusions on the academic front. A family Shah Rukh Khan the rainy day. Stiff competition is envisaged Abhishek Bachchan
you may get a golden opportunity to rekindle cated on the romantic front as you resolve all youngster may seek your counsel in an urgent on the academic front, but your position
old romantic relationship. Your plan for a new differences with partner. Success is foretold matter. Good time to plan a special evening remains strong. Romance may enter the lives
house is likely to be in process very soon. for those trying to come back in shape. out for partner, as much enjoyment is in store. of the lonely hearts, but proceed slowly.
Lucky Number: 1 Lucky Colour: Dark Brown Lucky Number: 1 Lucky Colour: Light Yellow Lucky Number: 22 Lucky Colour: Violet Lucky No: 11 Lucky Colour: Orange

GEMINI MAY 21-JUN 21 VIRGO AUG 24-SEP 23 SAGITTARIUS NOV 23-DEC 21 PISCES FEB 20-MAR 20

Love: Two of Swords Mood: The High Love: Two of Wands Mood: Three of Coins Love: The Empress Mood: King of Coins Love: Five of Swords Mood: The Chariot
Priestess Career: Two of Coins Career: Devil Career: Page of Wands Career: Ten of Coins
Be careful while delegating work, as a misstep You may need to adopt an innovative Businessmen and retailer may embark upon A promising career opportunity can knock on
may create problems for you on the approach to solve a recurring problem on the golden period of growth as they succeed in your doors. Previous investments promise
professional front. Some of you may succeed professional front. Success in recovering a expanding client base. You may find family life good returns. You succeed in maintaining an
in generating an additional source of income. blocked investment will improve financial a little demanding, but will also manage to edge over competitors with hard work on the
Excellent performance in a recent examination position remarkably. You succeed in casting a find space for yourself. You may find yourself academic front. Finding someone who will
Sonam K Ahuja or competitive test may boost confidence. An Akshay Kumar favourable impression on those who matter John Abraham drawn to a person of opposite sex you may Shahid Kapoor give a sympathetic ear to your personal woes
issue may get blown out of proportion on the on academic front. You need to adopt a have met recently. Regular exercise and will prove therapeutic. Getting good rent for a
home front; keep your cool. Things brighten patient approach on the romantic front to healthy diet will work wonders for those property is foreseen. Keeping away from
up on the romantic front. keep the relationship intact. trying to get back in shape. excess will ensure good health.
Lucky Number: 2 Lucky Colour: Lemon Lucky Number: 5 Lucky Colour: Green Lucky Number.: 2 Lucky Colour: Pink Lucky No: 18 Lucky Colour: Magenta

How Adarsh Gourav works

{ DAILY HOROSCOPE }

Sunday, September 26, 2021

Dr Prem Kumar Sharma (Astrologer and Vaastu expert) can be contacted at: Delhi: 011-47033152, 40532026 (Sat

towards honing his skill set to Mon); Panchkula: 91-172-2562832, 2572874 (Tues to Thurs); Mumbai: 09716145644 (Last week of every month)

Kavita Awaasthi Siddhant Chaturvedi and

ARIES LEO SAGITTARIUS
MAR 21-APR 20 JUL 23-AUG 23 NOV 23-DEC 21
[email protected]
Ananya Panday and an

A L s
untitled film. A new line of work may Those shifting to different Ignoring the directions of
ife has surely changed The actor admits that the attract you and prompt schools every three years, your superiors is asking

L for actor Adarsh

Gourav after the
international acclaim
he received for his
performance in The White
pandemic has caused a
slowdown in the
entertainment industry: “It
has affected shoots and made
everyone cautious. But I feel
you to acquire the
required skills for it. A
timely medical intervention is likely
to nip an infection in the bud and
help a family elder.
due to father’s posting,
may find adjusting every
time to a new environment difficult.
Making a PG accommodation in your
house will boost your earnings.
for trouble, so be ready to
be hauled upstairs. Your
immediate neighbours are likely to
be a big help in your time of need.
Invest in a bigger house.
Tiger. The portrayal of Balram that as an actor, I keep LOVE FOCUS: Partner will support you LOVE FOCUS: Newlyweds will a great LOVE FOCUS: Your busy schedule will
has put him on the map and myself engaged by picking in a family situation. time. leave little time for romance today.
he has managed to garner the up new skills and updating LUCKY NUMBER: 7 LUCKY COLOUR: LUCKY NUMBER: 3 LUCKY COLOUR: LUCKY NUMBER: 11 LUCKY COLOUR: Baby
attention of directors and my skill set. I also work on Silver Grey Brown Pink
producers around the globe. my accents including
Gourav is super excited and American and English.” He
“equally humbled” with the
kind of work that has come his
adds, “I read a lot. I even try
to write sometimes. I do
TAURUS VIRGO CAPRICORN
APR 21-MAY 20 AUG 24-SEP 23 DEC 22-JAN 21
way post the film. He says that vocal warm ups and riyaaz.

T I c
life has changed for him after I try to stay busy, so that You will manage to meet You may find the going Travelling to meet your
the film and he is glad to be even if I don’t have work or your target well before slow at work today, so give near and dear ones settled
“trusted with diverse projects shoot, I don’t feel the time and earn a hefty the workers a booster abroad is indicated for
and characters” that are pressure of not working. I commission. A previous dose. You are likely to save some. Your business will
different from his previous feel that as an actor, it is condition can play up again and put a lot by procuring cheap labour, but starting booming once again. Don’t
character portrayals. important to stay engaged you in great discomfiture. don’t employ anyone underage to share financial information online.
He adds, “I have definitely or you get stagnant.” LOVE FOCUS: Spouse’s habit of keeping avoid legal action. Stay healthy with LOVE FOCUS: Some of you can
become busier. It has never a track of your activities can get your your food choices. accompany spouse today to see the
been a better time for actors to
be around. It is a positive
I try t
P goat and spoil the day.
LUCKY NUMBER: 4 LUCKY COLOUR:
LOVE FOCUS: Saying it with flowers
makes an upset partner happy.
construction of your new house.
LUCKY NUMBER: 6 LUCKY COLOUR: Navy
change. I have been looking at Cyan LUCKY NUMBER: 18 LUCKY COLOUR: Red Blue
scripts from all genres, so tha o stay busy
t ,
perhaps solely because of the
have a even if I don
international response
received by the film. For me, feel th shoot, I do ’t GEMINI LIBRA AQUARIUS
the script is of utmost e pres n’t MAY 21-JUN 21 SEP 24-OCT 23 JAN 22-FEB 19
workin sure of not

G l a
importance. I believe that I Academicians may get a A complaining family Your dream of settling
can perform with honesty only impor g... It’s chance to travel abroad on elder can put you in an abroad is likely to be
if I resonate and connect with tant invitation of a prestigious embarrassing situation. realised soon. Something
the characters.”
engag to stay institute. An irritating You are likely to purchase you have invested in
Gourav has got three ed. roommate can make you consider a new cellphone at a bargain price. heavily may not go as planned.
projects in the pipeline that he AD ARSH shifting to another accommodation. LOVE FOCUS: Meeting lover secretly LOVE FOCUS: Spending the night
is currently working on — an GOUR LOVE FOCUS: You will manage to make has its charm, but don’t let anyone in chatting with lover will be most ful-
Actor AV,
international film, Kho Gaye your lover do your bidding today. on this secret to avoid confusions. filling and fun.
Hum Kahan co-starring LUCKY NUMBER: 8 LUCKY COLOUR: Off LUCKY NUMBER: 1 LUCKY COLOUR: LUCKY NUMBER: 9 LUCKY COLOUR:
White Maroon Lemon

Anshuman shuffles CANCER

JUN 22-JUL 22
SCORPIO
OCT 24-NOV 22
PISCES
FEB 20-MAR 20

C S P
Delay in issue of marks A new client may become Your health is likely to

between India and US to Anshuman

sheet is likely to create
problems in getting
admission to an institute
a regular source of income
for freelancers and part
timers. If you are not good
improve by a change in
diet, so adhere to it. A
breakdown of rented
Jha of your choice. Rent received from in studies, excel in sports to get an vehicle can not only put you in a spot,

spend time with fiancée property will come handy for buying
something big.
LOVE FOCUS: A fantastic time is
entry through the sports quota.
LOVE FOCUS: You may have second
thoughts about a relationship that no
ensure its fitness while renting.
LOVE FOCUS: You are likely to avail the
chance of enjoying a new place with
Kavita Awaasthi New York City to be with her foreseen with lover. more excites you. partner today.
amid training for his next film. LUCKY NUMBER: 2 LUCKY COLOUR: LUCKY NUMBER: 9 LUCKY COLOUR: LUCKY NUMBER: 18 LUCKY COLOUR: Off
espite the pandemic, Winters, too, was in India Lemon Magenta White

D actor Anshuman Jha

has been juggling
between India and the
US to spend time with his
fiancée, Sierra Winters, and
from April to June when India
was in the middle of its second
wave.
“During the pandemic, we
both made a conscious
Elon and Grimes split up after dating for 3 years
her family. decision to keep travelling
Jha, who has been busy back and forth to spend some lon Musk, founder of travelling overseas and her
with various projects in India,
ensures that he takes time out
of his schedule to meet the
quality time, as and when we
found a possibility in the
travel bubbles by our
E SpaceX, has confirmed
that he and his lady love,
Grimes, a Canadian singer,
work is primarily in LA. She’s
staying with me now and Baby
X is in the adjacent room.”
love of his life. He has respective countries. have broken up. In May 2020, Page Six had previously
travelled thrice in the last 15 Travelling in such times was Jha with Sierra Winters Grimes, 33, gave birth to their reported that though the
months. He travelled to the US difficult but I guess the joy of son, X Æ A-Xii. singer walked the red carpet
in November and December seeing the other person at the couple made it official on Talking to The New York solo at this year’s Met Gala,
for Christmas, shuttling end makes it all worth it,” says social: “I am just very grateful Post’s Page Six, he said, “We Musk did attend the event
between San Francisco, New the Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi to the universe for making it are semi-separated but still with her. It was in May 2018
York and North Carolina. Back Akele actor. possible for us.” Speculations love each other, see each other that Musk and Grimes were
then, the Covid-19 cases in the Jha got engaged last year in are rife that the couple plans frequently and are on great first romantically linked,
US were on a rise due to the July amid the pandemic. His to tie the knot in 2022 and is terms.” He added, “It’s mostly when they made their public
second wave. friends knew that the two of waiting for visa regulations to that my work at SpaceX and debut at the Met Gala
This year, in August, Jha them were together but were relax for the Winters family to Tesla requires me to be following his split from actor,
again travelled to Virginia and taken by surprise when the be able to travel to India. Grimes and Elon Musk PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES primarily in Texas or Amber Heard. HTC
MUMBAI
SUNDAY
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021
lifestyle Entertainment & Promotional Features
03
PHOTOS: HTCS

Feeling a bit
lonely during the
Get ready for a festive season?
dose of positivity
with Bounce Back Bharat Fest! Here’s how to
Check out the star-studded lineup
for Day Three, as celebs share their
cope with it
life stories. Catch it on Fever FM’s
Facebook and YouTube channels.

IT’S TIME TO In the right spot

BOUNCE Sanchita Kalra

BACK
[email protected]

nnovative and creative

Raj Nayak I ideas that push the

boundary are bound to
grab attention, and so
did this first-of-its-kind light
and sound installation at
5:00 PM Central Park in Connaught
Day 3 Neeraj Chopra (r Place, New Delhi.
epeat) This unique entertainment
SEPTEMBER 26 concept, known as Taigun
5:30 PM Spotlight, set up in the run-up
Kapil Sharma (repea to the launch of Taigun, a PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
t) new variant mid-size SUV by
Volkswagen, saw auto
This one-of-a-kind extravaganza was held at
Central Park, Connaught Place, New Delhi oneliness and seasonal
6:00 PM
Pratik Gandhi (repe
at)
enthusiasts, dealers and
influencers getting together to
witness this one-off show. artistes such as When Chai India, said: “Volkswagen of a robust grid in Central
L affective disorders (SAD)
pose real threats to one’s
emotional state of mind,
THE FESTIVE OR
HOLIDAY
SEASON CAN BE
Installations in the shape of Met Toast, Bandish Projekt, Taigun has been building for Park, Connaught Place, to particularly when people can’t
6:30 PM round lamps, namely pixel Raghav Meattle and Kings well over a year. The final house 2,500 LED pixel balls, be physically present with A LONELY TIME
Saif Ali Khan, Sreeje balls, were mounted on the United, which have inspired countdown to its launch had capable of lighting up in their families or friends. The FOR ALL THOSE
sh ground to display the
countdown, along with car
the audience with their
‘hustle’ stories. The brand also
to be anything but ordinary.
We wanted it to reflect the
millions of controlled colour
combinations, the Taigun
holiday season can be a lonely
time for those celebrating
WHO ARE
7:00 PM features in varied hues, synced held a contest and asked vibrancy, fun and dynamism Spotlight lit up the heart of alone. Either way, feeling CELEBRATING
Manoj Bajpayee with peppy music, making for
a sight to behold.
participants to crack the
Hustle Code of the day to win a
of the brand, while also
being a first-of-its-kind in
India with the vibe, colours
and personality of the Taigun,
alone around this time of the
year is common, and
ALONE
(repeat) Apart from this exciting
show, the four-day countdown
Hustle Kit every day, along
with other incredible prizes.
the country.”
He added, “With six months
while enthralling and
engaging millions across
completely normal, whether
or not we are living through a
to the launch also comprised Speaking on the occasion, of meticulous planning, the country virtually, in a global pandemic. in your life, thus lifting up
7:30 PM power-packed virtual Ashish Gupta, brand director, 144 hours of testing and thrilling countdown to the Read on to learn how to your spirits.
Sania Mirza performances by renowned Volkswagen Passenger Cars programming, the installation great launch.” beat those yearly holiday
blues.
l Alleviate the effects of
touch deprivation: Touch is
a vital element in
8:00 PM BEAT YOUR LONELINESS exacerbating the feeling of
Kunal Bahl #instastyle WITH THESE COPING
STRATEGIES:
loneliness. In the absence of
touch, individuals could feel
l Be good to yourself: stressed. You can ease touch
8:30 PM Weekending done right! Whether you spend time in deprivation by giving
Bhuvan Bam Actors Alia Bhatt and
Parineeti Chopra shared
nature, take a relaxing bath,
or perform a physical
yourself a soothing massage.
l Plan something to look
sneak peeks of their activity, doing something for forward to: You can
9:00 PM weekend mood, lounging yourself is a form of self-care consider innovative ways to
Akshay Kumar around. While Chopra is on
a family beach vacay, Bhatt
that is vital during
challenging times.
spend your holidays, even
while you are confined at
posted a happy selfie with a l Practise gratitude: Writing home. For instance, plan a
9:30 PM cloudy sky as the backdrop. down your thoughts in a virtual family gathering or
PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM
journal will help you to only an online scavenger hunt
focus on the things you value with loved ones. HTC

‘Any serious
political
movement
must be open
to dissent’
Navneet Vyasan
[email protected]

riter-philosopher Amia

W Srinivasan’s book The

Right to Sex has slowly
and steadily garnered
appreciation and accolades as an
important work of our times. A
professor of Social and Political
Theory at Oxford, in her work, she
tries to decipher how one needs to
look at sex in a much more critical P PHOTO: FACEBOOK
way, rather than merely
ortant
compartmentalising in into It is imp uish
g
to distin iticism
consensual and non-consensual.
What started out as an essay, is now
th r
c
a full fledged book that, she says,
deserved extensive understanding good-fai ‘cancel
and critique. Excerpts from an from
interview: culture’.
must be open to disagreement and N,
INIVASA
When it comes to male sexual dissent. It is important to distinguish AMIA SRuthor
entitlement, in a country like good-faith criticism from ‘cancel A
India, it is as widespread as it culture’. To point out that some
can be. According to you, what mainstream feminists are complicit
could be the reason for this? in the very systems that immiserate internalised a patriarchal ideology
Male sexual entitlement seems to most women, that some mainstream that says that women owe their
be a near-universal phenomenon feminists are not truly interested in husbands sex. More women need to
that is shaped by the specificities of women’s liberation, but in securing be in the judiciary, but what is also
culture, politics, religion and history. access for themselves and women needed is a wider social reckoning
The story of male sexual entitlement like them to the upper echelons of with women’s subordination.
in India would have to include a power, is not to ‘cancel’ them, even if
close engagement, I think, with the they are offended by this. You talk about the ill effects of
history of colonialism, deeply pornography as well. In a
unequal economic development, the Recently, a High Court in India Western society it is legal and
regime of caste, the social squashed a case of marital rape can therefore influence people,
interpretation of Hinduism, the and said “it isn’t rape if the in India it is taboo, which makes
erosion of traditional forms of life, people involved are married”. it more popular. How does one
and much more. Many say that had a woman manoeuvre in this a situation ?
been the judge, the decision Pornography shapes young
You mentioned feminism in would’ve been different... people’s, especially young men’s
many places results in “slotting It’s too simple to say that the expectations of and approach to sex.
women into pre-existing struc- decision would have been different if Pornography reinscribes a vision of
tures of inequality”. You termed the judge had been a woman. It’s true sex as being about male domination
it “mainstream feminism” that that, in general, women are better and female submission. What is
is not being critical enough. How placed to recognise that marital rape needed is a healthier conversation,
does one call it out without is rape – this is especially true of the especially young people, about porn
offending those who represent many Indian women who have – what is called ‘porn literacy’ – and
the cause? experienced marital rape. But it’s the way in which we have good ethi-
Any serious political movement also true that many women have cal and political reason to reject it.
04
MUMBAI
SUNDAY
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

@hindustantimesauto @HTAutotweets @HTautonews HT Auto

THE THREAT MUMBAI

OF TAKATA
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

AIRBAGS: on Sunday
.com

STORY’S NOT Scan here

to visit
HTAuto.com

OVER YET
Over 100 million airbag inflators from Takata have been recalled from around the world
in the past ten years and the company is under scanner again An airbag inflator is a small explosive device designed to ignite in a split second in a vehicle crash,
then rapidly fill a large cushion with inert gas to help shield and protect occupants from serious
injury PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK

T
he Takata airbags have been eventually 67 million in 2016.
making news for all the wrong Takata filed for bankruptcy
reasons in recent times. They protection in the US and Japan in 2017.
have been installed in cars Over the last decade, more than 100
belonging to almost every million vehicles with Takata airbag
major car maker — from Ford, Toyota, inflators have been recalled worldwide.
Nissan and Honda to Daimler, BMW Of the US recall, about 50 million have
Chrysler, Porsche and even Ferrari NV. had repairs or replacements. There
Around 30 million cars are under have been at least 28 deaths worldwide,
investigation in the United States over including 19 in the US, and more than
potential defects to the airbag inflators 400 injuries tied to faulty Takata
installed in these vehicles. Some of inflators.
those vehicles have the original
inflators that were installed when they THE LATEST INVESTIGATION
were manufactured and some have To help mitigate issues with
inflators installed as replacements in ammonium nitrate, Takata in 2015
vehicles previously recalled. In certain agreed to start building original
situations, mainly long exposure to equipment and replacement inflators
extreme heat and humidity, those with a drying agent, called a desiccant,
inflators can unexpectedly rupture, to absorb excess moisture. The US
sending metal shrapnel through the National Highway Traffic Safety
vehicle cabin, with the potential to Administration (NHTSA) said there
cause injuries and deaths. have been no reported ruptures in
vehicles on the road with airbag
WHAT IS AN INFLATOR? inflators with the drying agent. The
An airbag inflator is a small explosive agency in September 2021 said it “wants
device designed to ignite in a split to evaluate the future risk” of inflators
second in a vehicle crash, then rapidly made with desiccant and installed in
fill a large cushion with inert gas to help vehicles that have not been recalled.
shield and protect occupants from The new investigation includes vehicles
serious injury. A family-run Japanese assembled by Honda, Ford Motor Co.,
company called Takata, now controlled Toyota, General Motors Co., Nissan,
by China’s Joyson Electronic Corp, Subaru, Tesla Inc, Ferrari NV, Mazda,
started supplying airbags to auto Daimler AG, BMW, Chrysler (now part
companies around the world in the late of Stellantis NV), Porsche Cars and
1980s. Takata inflators made since the Jaguar Land Rover (owned by Tata
late 1990s use a powerful chemical, Motors), among others.
ammonium nitrate, as a propellant. NHTSA said its investigation “will
When that chemical is exposed over require extensive information on
long periods to moisture and heat, it Takata production processes and
tends to break down and become surveys of inflators in the field”.
volatile and potentially explosive. REUTERS

WHEN DID TAKATA KNOW?

Takata learned of the first inflator
rupture in 2003. Some of the company’s VE
managers learned of additional inflator THERE HA ST 28
E A
ruptures after that. Some test report BEEN AT L HS
data was altered by Takata employees to DEAT
E,
WORLDWIDTHE US,
hide this from Takata’s automaker
customers. The first Takata-related
19 IN
recall — of 4,000 Honda Accords and
INCLUDING E THAN 400
Civics — was announced in 2008. Over
AND M O R
the next five years, Honda Motor Co, IED TO
Toyota Motor Corp, Nissan Motor Co, INJURIES TAKATA
Mazda Motor Corp and BMW AG FAULTY T RS
recalled nearly 4 million US vehicles for
inflator ruptures, a total that grew to
INFLATO
more than 10 million by 2014 and

#theburningquestion #inbrief
Audi has officially launched e-tron
Ola Electric to Audi India GT and RS GT electric sports cars
Can a self-reliant 2021 Ducati
Monster arrives
foray into releases e-tron at ₹1.79 crore and ₹2.04 crore,
respectively (both prices, ex-
showroom). Both the electric cars
e-bikes, e-cars GT and RS GT
auto industry in India After launching its first electric electric sports
will be brought to the country via
the import route. The RS e-tron
GT is the most powerful

transform India
Ducati has launched the all-new scooter in the country last month, production car ever made by Audi.
Monster and the Monster Plus bikes
in India at ₹10.99 and ₹11.24 lakh
Ola Electric is eyeing entry into cars
the electric bike and electric car
respectively (prices, ex-showroom). space. The company’s CEO

into a global hub? The bikes feature signature

elements such as a shoulder-
embedded round headlamp, bison’s
Bhavish Aggarwal, in a blog post,
confirmed Ola Electric’s foray into
the other EV segments, saying, “In
The Indian automotive industry has the distinction of being back inspired chunky fuel tank, a the coming quarters we will
globally competitive with significantly high levels of clean tail section and centre expand our EV range with more
localisation. However, still, the country’s annual automotive positioned engine. The bikes draw scooters, bikes and cars.” He also
imports stand at 23% of overall industry sales turnover. power from a new Testastretta 11°, outlined the potential for
These parts are either not made in India or are not 937 cc L-twin engine with personal mobility that is up for
competitive. While electronics will account for 45% of car Desmodromic technology. grabs in the country.
value in the next ten years, we currently have very low
localisation in these areas.
As global companies are looking to diversify their supply
chains owing to the pandemic and emerging geopolitical
scenarios, the government’s efforts, particularly the PLI
scheme and notable actions towards ease of doing business Volkswagen Asia’s first Hero Electric to
measures, will help attract investments. Setting a long-term,
India’s Taigun Lamborghini hits triple century in India ramp up
stable policy and regulation roadmap hybrid flying
is also required to reduce
uncertainties and help de-risk SUV is here car is under Lamborghini has delivered 300 units of various models to customers in India in over a decade’s
presence. Of these, 100 units are of Urus alone and this is despite the fact that the SUV was first
production
investments. The industry must
invest in future technologies The Taigun SUV’s starting price is development brought to India in 2018 at a base price of ₹3.10 crore (ex-showroom). This year alone, the automaker
has driven in Huracán EVO RWD Spyder, Urus Pearl Capsule, Urus Graphite Capsule and Huracán STO.
capacity
and advanced manufacturing at ₹10.49 lakh and the GT Line Hero Electric will increase the
as well as invest in improving begins from ₹14.99 lakh, going up Chennai-based Vinata manufacturing capacity at
their processes and skilling the to ₹17.49 lakh (ex-showroom). Built Aeromobility recently presented its plant in Ludhiana,
workforce. on the MQB A0 IN platform, they its concept flying car model to Punjab, to over five
come with two TSI petrol engine civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya lakh units a year by
Disclaimer: The views options, a 1.0-litre and a 1.5-litre Scindia. Once turned into reality, March 2022. The
expressed here are the motor, and have six colour options the autonomous hybrid flying car company will further
author’s personal - yellow, white, blue, red, grey and will become Asia’s first hybrid expand its
black. flying car, which can board two production capacity
passengers and fly up to 60 to build over one
Vikram Gulati, minutes at a top speed of 120 million vehicles every
Country head kmph. year to meet the
and senior vice growing demand.
president, Its Ludhiana plant
Toyota currently has an
Kirloskar Motor installed
production
capacity of one
lakh units per year.
Free with your copy of Sunday Hindustan Times | September
Fre te 26,
6, 2021
021

YEARS OF
“Although we don t have a
2004-2021
monarchy in India, people
believe our family has the
network and access to be an
Fashion Focus agent of social change.”
MEET THE —Mrinalika M Bhanj Deo, ,
oga e ponent and hotelier
COLOUR OF
THE SEASON
7 Fun Ways To
Wear Indigo
Page 18

In Bed With
MEEZAAN
JAFRI
Page 22

DIGITAL
ISSUE
For more stories
and columns,
scan below

“What I like about shows

like The Crown is that
royal families are shown
to be vulnerable.
We are husbands, wives
and daughters. We have
contemporary relevance
to society.”
—Akshita M Bhanj Deo, 28,
Social entrepreneur and
crafts revivalist

Millennial Princesses Of Mayurbhanj

From running mini-marathons on the family estate to exploring androgynous fashion,
these young ladies from Odisha are keeping royalty relevant today

#PrincessesOfPower
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 3

passions
s
2003 2021
Actors Ben Affleck
and Jennifer Lopez
broke up in 2004,
but got back
together in April
2021, sparking
EDITORIAL chatter on the Net
Jamal Shaikh
(National Editor – Brunch and
New Media Initiatives) YEARS OF { SUNDAY DEBATE }

Going back to your ex?

Karishma Kuenzang
2004-2021
DESIGN
Sunil Kumar Mallik
(Art Director – Brunch)
Amit Malik
Kishore Rawat
With #Bennifer back together, a person who regrets not attending the
FOR ADVERTISING AND MARKETING ENQUIRIES: bff’s wedding to her ex, and a psychologist weigh the pros and cons
Ad Sales (North): Amit Gandotra
[email protected]
Ad Sales (West): Gautam Buragohain
[email protected]
“We’re told a toxic person “You’ll need to create
Ad Sales (South): Mockbul Haque always remains toxic. But a new relationship
[email protected] sometimes, people change.” with your ex first.”
Find Hindustan Times Brunch on Facebook.
Follow @htbrunch on Instagram and Twitter.
Drop us a line at: 18-20, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, By Shruti Chaturvedi By Asees Kaur Chadha
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M G
Email: [email protected]
y friend had broken up with her etting back with your ex could work
NOTE TO READERS boyfriend after being together for if the breakup was circumstantial,
The feature titled ‘Brunch Focus’ is a promotional article. a year. It was such a bad break such as someone moving cities, and
We would like to emphasise that no sponsored content
does or shall appear in any part of Brunch without it up that we were convinced they would not due to emotional or mental distress. But
being declared as such to our valued readers. never get back together. Plus, she moved to you should have resolved any issues in your
COVER CREDITS London shortly after. equation with each other.
Cover photo shot exclusively for HT Brunch by Turns out they stayed in touch and, Just make sure you take the time to
P
Prabhat Shetty
Hair and make-up by Zainab Ashraf and Dania Anis a year and a half ago, she told me expplore the reason for the breakup p.
Pantsuit and purple dress, Joskai they had worked out their issues. Often, people say they felt they
jewellery, Dhora jewellery; bags, Gucci
Today, they are happily married. “SO MANY PEOPLE had lost themselves in their
But I didn’t attend her wedding HAVE MARRIED relationships. So you need to get in
because I was so mad at her! touch with your own individuality
They used to fight a lot and
SO-CALLED ‘RIGHT and reconnect with yourself,
I mostly saw her side of it. We PEOPLE’ AND ARE whether it takes weeks or a year.
were all relieved when it was MISERABLE…” Both individuals should go through
over. So when they got back — SHRUTI CHATURVEDI this introspection, irrespective of
together, I still didn’t think he who broke up with whom, in order to
AMI PATEL
Celebrity stylist was good for her. I thought they’d be reconnect. You need open communication
divorced in six-seven months. and to create a new relationship even with
{ Q+A } We are told that a toxic person P the same partner as that’s the only way

THE 30s ROUTINE always remains toxic. But “GETTING BACK to progress.
sometimes people do change. If there had been abuse of any
WITH YOUR EX COULD kind—physical,
Q Now that I am turning 30,
many of my friends are
asking me to adopt a skincare
While living by herself in
London, my friend realised what WORK IF THE BREAKUP or gaslighting or it was a toxic
mental, emotional

routine. I want something basic. she wanted, maybe because WAS CIRCUMSTANTIAL, relationship—then getting back with
What would you suggest?
—Meetu K, Bengaluru
she was studying psychology SUCH AS SOMEONE your ex is a big no. People can get so
and she worked on herself. They used to toxic patterns of relationships
MOVING CITIES”
C leansing is the first step of
any good skincare routine.
Exfoliation is next, followed
communicated a lot when she
was away and that helped. Also, we
—ASEES KAUR CHADHA
that they find them comforting. Do
assess the pros and cons. There’s a reason
by toning, which is crucial for thought she wasn’t being ambitious why the person is an ex.
acne-prone skin and also has because of him, but that wasn’t the case. Remember that parents or friends won’t
anti-ageing benefits as it helps When I saw how happy she was, it understand the intricacies of the relationship.
tighten open pores. Then, use a made me realise that so many people have So, you are the best judge. Till you realise
Vitamin C serum, followed by eye
cream and moisturiser. Finally, married so-called ‘right people’ and are for yourself what you want, there’s no point
use sunscreen before stepping miserable. But at least she’s happy. And I asking for advice.
out in the sun. wished I had gone for the wedding. You can stay friends with your ex. But that
Peopple aren’t the wayy theyy are depends on what your current partner is
Ami Patel is a celebrity fashion
stylist, image consultant and permanentlyy. Sometimes we judgge too soon. comfortable with.
faculty with the Art of Living
Shruti Chaturvedi is the founder of chaaipani.com Asees Kaur Chadha is a psychologist and founder of
and lives in Goa. Soul Therapy in Gurugram.
4 SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

nostalgia
{ WHEN I WAS 22… }

Sallma Agha, Singer-actor

“My favourite Kapoor was Shashiji. He was With Shashi Kapoor at a family Sallma and her sister Sabina pose for a
kind-hearted and handsome” get-together picture with Dilip Kumar

Sallma concentrated on her career at 22 Backstage with Padmini Kolhapure Sallma with her idol, Noor Jehan, Sallma with her siblings Salman and
rather than whittle it away on admirers whom she met back then Sabina when she was 22

Where were you career-wise? Tell us about your family equation then.
I was on my way to the top with a big hit like My family comprised my father Liaquat Gul
Nikaah, for which I won a Filmfare award. Agha, mother Nasreen Mehra, sister Sabina
Next up was Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki, the Agha Zarooni and my brother, Salman Agha.
music album of which was a platinum hit! I was closest to my father, and if my mother
What was your bank balance? ever needed me, I would leave everything for
I was a singer and earning a lot from her. My siblings are also musicians so when
shows, which I continue doing. I even we meet, we always have a musical evening.
bought my first bungalow three years Who were your favourite singers?
after Nikaah released. Noor Jehan, my mother Nasreen Mehra,
Your romantic status. Pink Floyd and Whitney Houston.
I had many admirers, but nobody really Sallma performing at one of her first few Which Kapoor was your favourite then?
music concerts
caught my attention. My grandfather Jugal Kishore Mehra was
What was your fashion sense then? THEN AND NOW What was your focus in life? the brother of Raj (Kapoor)ji’s mother. My
Boots, pants and jackets. Sallma Agha I wanted to be a singer; acting happened all-time favourite Kapoor will always be
What was your frame of mind? Khan at 22 (top) accidentally when BR Chopraji spotted me Shashiji. The time we spent with him in
I was carefree; I loved travelling, and I still do. and at 64 (above) at Naushad saab’s place. Along the way, I my London home at family gatherings will
realised I was in love with both singing and always be special to me. He gave me tips on

P acting. Even today, I like to do both.

One thing you would’ve changed then?
acting; he was a kind-hearted person and
one of the most beautiful men I have seen.
“I BOUGHT MY FIRST I was very busy when my mother was Your idea of a handsome man?
BUNGALOW THREE unwell. I wish I had more time to spend A humble and kind hearted man. Now it’s
YEARS AFTER with her. One thing I have changed recently my son Shahaan (laughs)!
is the spelling of my name to Sallma Agha
NIKAAH RELEASED”
Khan for numerological reasons. —DINESH RAHEJA

{ Q+A }

EMOTIONS AND INSTAGRAM SISTER SPEAK

Q I’m obsessed with ‘likes’ on Instagram. I put up
pictures then go back five times in five minutes
to check. This is unhealthy, isn’t it?
Q My sister just came out to me about her sexuality.
My mother asked me if it’s true. Now I’m stuck.
What should I do? Now playing!
—Supriya G, Mumbai —Anukriti S, via Instagram The HT Brunch
Podcast.
SHAHEEN BHATT
Author and screenwriter Ibrain
nstagram is designed to make you obsessed. When you
get a ‘like’, it activates the feel-good chemicals in your
and you get stuck in a vicious reward loop. The more
T alking about your sexuality is an intensely personal thing
and it’s a choice only you get to make. Your sister shared
a huge part of who she is with you and it was her decision
Listen to your
favourite stars,
we rely on social media for fulfillment, the emptier we to share it. So, even though it’s your mother asking, it would columnists,
feel. That’s because we crave to be seen and heard, and not be right to take that choice out of her hands and talk to musicians…
while social media may seem like a way to connect, it’s your mum on her behalf. Tell your mum that if she has any Scan the QR
usually quite the opposite. questions, the person she should ask is your sister, not you. code below
If you think Instagram is your primary source of
emotional validation, it might be time to rethink your Shaheen Bhatt’s public outing of her own challenges with
relationship with it and find a way to get your underlying mental health fuelled discourse about a relatively ignored topic,
emotional needs met. and made her a role model for young girls to look up to
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 5

guest column
{ I SAY, CHAPS }

Part of the furniture

A saxophonist on the lack of respect
talented musicians get at live gigs

Abhay, a

Photo: Yeashu Yuvraj

saxophonist,
who plays at
wedding gigs,
says you need
to be mentally
strong to
do them

menu for artistes at places—a cost-cutting

By Abhay Sharma technique. At weddings, we are told there

I
n 2013, I was playing a post-wedding are only a limited number of plates. Now,
dinner gig when an uncle came and I put everything on paper, including F&B,
put ฀100 inside my saxophone’s bell. and if they can’t serve musicians, they
It was funny but also ridiculous and reimburseusforameal.Though,youhave
defied acceptable basic courtesy extended to remember that a wedding gig is a job at
towardsmusicians,especiallyatawedding theendoftheday.Youaretheretobeapart
or private party setting. ofambienceattimes,whichisunfortunate.
The lack of respect for musicians But if you can’t do it, then don’t!
begins at home. My own band has seen You need to be mentally strong to
three people leave as their parents had an continue doing wedding gigs. After my
issuewith them playing atweddingshows. setataweddingataManesarhotelin2012,
Digs like “When will you not have to play an inebriated uncle came up to me and
wedding shows?” are aplenty. Because took out a gun, asking me to play a song.
historically and culturally, India has He had mistaken me for the DJ!
always looked down on musicians who Getting paid is another headache. At a
would usually play in the court. That’s the function at an IAS officer‘s place, I had to
environment musicians have also grown pay him `5,000 as he alleged my father
up in, and if musicians themselves aren’t hadhadtwopegsofliquorservedthere.At
respecting the culture of playing wedding anothergiginGurgaon,Ididanadditional
gigs, you can’t expect it from the audience! 45-minute set on the host’s request but got
I have spent the past 14 years playing paid seven months later after statements
commercial music and the fact is that like“Payment chod,mainthappadmaarne
wedding and private gigs pay much more waalahun”werethrownaroundasaband
than other gigs. member had a drink.
But they come with their own At another gig where celebrities were
shenanigans. My band and I have been invited and I ended up speaking to a few,
asked to use different washrooms at the client didn’t payme, saying,“How dare
performance venues and there’s a separate you speak to my guests?”
Musicians will get disheartened. Some

P are now trying to become more popular

than creative. Because the thought is ‘if
“AFTER MY SET AT A a person knows who I am, they won’t be
WEDDING IN MANESAR, disrespectful’.
As told to Karishma Kuenzang
AN INEBRIATED [email protected]
UNCLE TOOK OUT A Follow @HTBrunch on Twitter and Instagram

GUN, ASKING ME TO Abhay Sharma is a Delhi-based musician

who has played with the likes of Shankar
PLAY A SONG!” Mahadevan, apart from helming his own band,
The Revisit Project.
6 SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

cover story
YEARS OF

2004-2021

PrincessesofPower
Millennials Akshita and Mrinalika Bhanj Deo of Mayurbhanj, Odisha,
make royalty relevant today by using their status to create positive change
Text by Priya Kumari Rana
Photos shot exclusively for HT Brunch by Prabhat Shetty

P
rincess Akshita M Bhanj Deo, 28, is an entrepreneur whose team is set to do
caught in transit between Kolkata
and Mayurbhanj, Odisha, en route
revolutionary work. “Understanding how
brands function—the storytelling aspect—is
P
to her family’s Belgadia Palace—a why someone buys a product,” says Mrinalika. “YOU ARE NOT A KING
former royal guesthouse and home Akshita’s work with public policy and WITHOUT YOUR PEOPLE.
to the Maharaja Praveen Chandra international affairs came naturally after THE MINUTE YOU
Bhanj Deo of Mayurbhanj and Maharani Rashmi graduation (her mother founded a school for
Rajya Laxmi Bhanj Deo of Mayurbhanj (Princess street children and her father is in politics),
DISASSOCIATE YOURSELF
of Jaisalmer) that hosted luminaries such as the when she worked with refugees while on an FROM YOUR COMMUNITY
Tagores and JN Tata in the late 1800s. international rescue committee. But this sense YOU BECOME IRRELEVANT”
Her sister, Princess Mrinalika M Bhanj Deo, of justice for the less fortunate runs in her blood. — MRINALIKA BHANJ DEO
30, is already at Belgadia and joins us on call “We grew up with stories about my ancestors,
from the Victorian era colonnaded palace. so there are strains of what they planted as wife, Asha Bhanj Deo, wrote bestselling Raj-
It was Mrinalika who, fresh from a stint in seeds,” she says. Her great-grandfather’s younger era romance novels under the pseudonym
New York City working for a third-gen perfume step-brother, Maharaja Sriram Chandra and Rebecca Ryman.
label (which owns the Carolina Herrera brand), Maharani Sucharu Devi’s son, was a fighter pilot “I would love to do a book or podcast on
decided to turn the property that sits on 20 acres for British India, who worked with refugees from discovering these lesser known stories from
into an 11-room boutique hotel in 2015, a process the Middle East. “His plane crashed in Cuttack in princely India, which showcase the culture and
that took two and a half years of restoration. 1945 while fighting the Japanese,” says Akshita. resilience of unique individuals who contributed
Akshita is a social entrepreneur working in an Akshita has recently discovered that to weaving the fabric of modern India,” she says.
AI non-profit, astute storyteller, crafts revivalist, her grandfather’s younger brother’s second Similarly, Mrinalika discovered her
neo-influencer and would-be author all rolled grandfather Maharaja Pradeep Chandra
into one, while Mrinalika is a yoga teacher, STYLE QUEENS Bhanj Deo’s sketchbook and used it as a base
hospitality maven, fashionista and co-founder A peek into the for her restoration work on Belgadia. “I was also
of a crafts label with her younger sister. inspired by my father’s mother from Nepal (King
princesses’ wardrobe
“We’ve just added two more rooms that Tribhuvan’s daughter), who did up Belgadia
are specially abled-friendly,” says Akshita. Akshita has gone past an when there were no architects,” she says.
“I’m also putting indigenous flora into our androgynous phase and is
landscaping—great for agri-tourism and embracing craft core, a word she PRIVACY POLICY
sustainable farming.” picked up on social media. “I am Currently, the sisters are neck deep with Hasa
discovering curated handicraft Atelier, the luxury handicraft brand they
IN THE GENES pieces, like a period necklace co-founded, where they sell bags made of woven
from the Bhil tribe in Jhabua
The Bard-educated Askhita speaks sabai grass often paired with dokra (metalwork
that took 30 hours to make, and
quickly, punctuated with the inflections by Odisha’s tribal communities).
am pairing it with a white shirt
of an international education (after a and denims,” says Akshita. “We are contributing to our ancestors’ vision
few years at La Martiniere, Kolkata, she of building sustainable communities; women
went to Singapore to finish high school). The petite Mrinalika’s personal have gone from making a few thousand rupees
Mrinalika is equally eloquent; a graduate style is well-tailored trousers a month to making close to a few lakhs weaving
of the University of Virginia, she’s done with a formal blouse. “I love Sabai grass into beautiful products,” says
a month-long yoga retreat in Bali and my formal wear too, which is Akshita. The princesses are lobbying for a GI tag
was conducting in-person classes before minimal and chic, sometimes a for the Sabai grass which, it is said, was
the pandemic hit. She even ran two loud accessory or crazy shoes brought back from Madagascar by one of the
(like a pair of Zanotti shoes with
eponymous yoga studios in Kolkata, princesses’ ancestors.
no heels). I love saris but don’t
where the family has a home. With her father as a public figure, Akshita
know how to drape them, so
Like true millennials, the I get them pre-stitched. I also would prefer to be away from the public
princesses have their heart set on love lehengas and treasure my eye—after all, she revelled in the anonymity
bettering the world. Akshita doesn’t Carolina Herrera skirt.” of New York City, enjoying theatre, modelling,
see herself as an influencer, but as and forming her own identity. “It doesn’t
8 APRIL 11, 2021

cover story

On Mrinalika (left)
and Akshita:
Pantsuit and purple
dress: Joskai
Jewellery: Dhora
jewellery
Bags: Gucci

mean anything to have more likes,

followers, and media mentions,” she FITNESS FIRST
minute you disassociate yourself from
your community you become irrelevant.”
LOVE AND
says. “If it comes organically, fine, but On how they keep fit European aristocrats have followings in MARRIAGE
it’s okay to take a back seat and let the hundreds ofthousandsonInstagram— The royals on loving
your work speak for itself.” While Akshita loves to practice is this a similar trend in India? “The yourself first
She’s recently made her her Mayurbhanj Chau (she’s just fascination stems from the political
taken a month-long workshop), she’s Would the princesses marry
Instagram private to focus stability and continuity that royalty
revelling in the strength training Mrinalika for love? “Of course, as long
on her work. “I want to brings,” says Akshita. “Royals
has got her into. Mrinalika also loves to run as there is love and mutual
build a community—and are mirrors of society—there’s a respect, and both partners are
her 5Ks on her family’s estate, something she
not have people have standard to uphold, but there’s a committed to supporting each
used to do down the pier in New York City.
access to my private life,” danger of it becoming a golden other’s dreams, independence
she says. “We’ve always been athletic and taken up cage.” and growth,” says Akshita.
Mrinalika also uses different sports and hobbies,” says Akshita. Akshita says it’s time to look
Instagram to build her beyond maharajas as portrayed Mrinalika is game for parents or
“I love my dogs, and take them for
friends finding a suitable person.
community. “I put up photos drives,” says Mrinalika of her seven through the prism of a Cartier
“You need to make time to meet a
of things that I like doing, things dogs, including two Great Danes. or a Rolls-Royce and to balance
person, travel with them, where
that make me happy. My yoga their personas with individualty things are relaxed,” she says. “If
journey is definitely something I like and a responsibility to give back to the marriage doesn’t happen, you
to talk about as it helped me tremendously communities they come from. find a friend.”
and hope it does the same for others. My account “What I like about shows like The Crown is
reflects who I am and sometimes I show what a that royal families are shown to be vulnerable. Adds Akshita, “Women need to
day in my life looks like.” This is how we live and earn our money; and love themselves; you can’t expect
someone to be your source of
we speak on mental health, climate change
happiness. Women are done
21ST CENTURY ROYALS and gender equality, and ally with LGBTQIA,
waiting for love. Have a blast,
“We have a rath yatra where the king sweeps among other things. We have contemporary and if you meet someone along
the floor,” says Mrinalika. “My father does this relevance to society,” she says. the journey of self-discovery, that
even today, in front of the entire town, when the Adds Mrinalika, “Although we don’t have would be rather lovely.”
rath is pulled. These rituals bind us as a family. a monarchy in India, the philanthropy of our
You are not a king without your people. The ancestors’ and their institutuion-building of Jaisalmer, and museum exp p ertise from
activities have left us with a lot of respect and Maharani Priyya Rajje Scindia from Gwaliorr. We
P love in our state. People believe our family has help each other as professionals today, extending
the network and access to be able to be an agent our partnerships in the corporate world to the
“WOMEN NEED TO LOVE of social change.” ties that we have.”
THEMSELVES; YOU CAN’T Akshita likens the royals in India today as a [email protected]
EXPECT SOMEONE TO modern-day Chamber of Princes. “Each family Follow @HTBrunch on Twitter
and Instagram
BE YOUR SOURCE OF is its own brand with its own specialty,” she
Priya Kumari Rana is a
says. “Each is known for a few thinggs, such
HAPPINESS.” Delhi-based lifestyle journalist
as the cuisine of the Sailana familyy, heritagge who has worked with publications
—AKSHITA M BHANJ DEO like Harper’s Bazaar and Outlook.
restoration byy Maharawal Chaitanyya Singgh
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 9

Cantabil Retail India Ltd / brunch focus

s

Styles that set the trend

Full-time Director of Cantabil Retail India Ltd., Deepak Bansal is responsible for the expansion
and diversification of the company’s business and retail market. Bansal has always had a
strong inclination for designing and manufacturing apparel. Here he talks about Cantabil’s
new collection, the company’s expansion plans and more
Tell us a bit about Cantabil and Full-time
how the brand has evolved over Director of
the years. Cantabil Retail
India Ltd.,
Today Cantabil is a name synonmous with trust Deepak Bansal
and quality. We have made a long journey to
gain the faith of our customers, who are growing
every year. We have always been focussed on our
ideology of serving the best quality at competitive
prices. We believe in the practice of innovation
and introducing the best collections every season.

What does your new collection take

its inspiration from and why?
Our new inspiration sources for this season are:
timeless heritage, home-grown, luxe leisure and
amplify. These themes cater to all aesthetic
groups for a wider and more varied range of
products. Our themes say that the present is a
reflection of past memories. There is always
an accelerated change in our lives; we are lost The façade of Cantabil’s store at Cantabil’s Denim Lab
in the daily hunt of our goals and of defining Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh
ourselves. Despite being lost in this rush socially
we still carry the heritage that belongs to us. This What is your new colour palette?
season the boundaries are broken. Memorising Our colours for the season are shades of blue
the snapshots of our past lives is key to feeling and navy, coral red, brown, aqua green, mustard,
those precious moments and what they express. olive and beige.

Tell us a bit about the range you Any future plans of expansion
envisage showcasing in your new to other cities and if so where
collection and will it be available and when?
to buy online? Cantabil today has 340 stores and is present
The range consists of the garment range as earlier in 160 towns. In the current financial year
but with fresh stories. Trousers are modified in we plan to further expand in 30 new towns
the new luxury look; denim washes are subtle and add another 40 new stores. The majority
with an antique and worn look; shirts are more of new stores will be in states like Madhya
about luxury with different surface finishes like Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. We
antibacterial, non-iron, stain-free and peaching; are also opening exclusive ladies and kids
knits are refreshed with typographic graphics wear stores.
while suits and blazers are made in quality and
trendy fabric patterns and weaves. What made you select these
Our products are available online with all the cities in particular?
stories we are doing at our stores and we are Are you focusing on any one The women’s In last few years we have expanded very
getting good responses on our online platforms. segment with your new collection wear collection fast in Tier-II and Tier-III towns. After
or will it cater to the whole family? the growth of the online retail industry,
P We are focussed solely on providing our
customers with a complete shopping
the aspiration of customers to spend
has increased tremendously, more so in
OUR COLOURS FOR THE destination that has the entire range for the smaller towns. People who used to travel
SEASON ARE SHADES OF family with varities of product categories. We to large cities to shop, now prefer to
Photos: HTBS

BLUE AND NAVY, CORAL have merchandise for men, women, kids and purchase from their home towns if good
RED, BROWN, AQUA GREEN, the youth. We have a variety of styles to suit shopping options are available. We give
different consumers with the needed styling customers the latest collections and the best
MUSTARD, OLIVE AND BEIGE and variations in our garments. shopping experience.
10 SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

brunch focus / Visit Monaco

A view of the Monaco

Opera House, which is
situated in the heart
of the city. Opera is at
the core of the cultural
pursuits in the little
European nation
(See box on the facing
page for details)

Opera makes an Indian debut

In a special video produced by Visit Monaco and HT Brunch, theatrical music takes centre
stage with millennial Pallavi Seth becoming one of the first Indian voices in this genre
many traditional and exotic gardens in the I went as a blank canvas only to study voice and
By Bharat Gupta Principality.Maintainingthegreatoperatradition, technique.”

F
is the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, also known as the Whileparentsaregenerallyapprehensiveabout
or the past 150 years, Monaco has Salle Garnier, where many international stars alternative career choices, Seth got them around.
been a prime destination for selective perform in what is a truly magical setting. “Initially they were concerned but they didn’t stop
travellers. This country, nestled Cut to millennial singer Pallavi Seth, one of me from pursuing my passion.”
between the sea and the mountains, India’s first performers to specialise in this genre.
has continuously developed a In an exclusive interview to HT Brunch, she says Mocha and mentor
broad offering of services catering to the most it would be any opera singer’s dream to perform Every singer needs a guru and Seth found one
exclusive experiences, combining both innovative at the iconic Opera House in Monaco. in the most unlikely setting. “I was in New York
concepts and internationally renowned historic Delhi-bred Pallavi Seth is one of the first youngg at a coffee shop. Lost in my thoughts, I began to
establishments that perpetuate excellence. oppera singgers to come out of the countryy. She

#VisitMonaco
moved to New York for a formal underggraduate
deggree in Op pera and Vocal Performance from the
P
Monaco is also a destination where you can taste prestiggious Mannes School of Music. MAINTAINING THE GREAT
local specialties at the counter and you can relax So, how did Pallavi Seth’s musical journey
OPERA TRADITION IS
with your family in the many open spaces. Where begin? “I was five when my grandmother
the heart of the city beats there is also shopping realised I had the pitch. It started with studying THE OPERA DE MONTE-
for all, where adults and children alike will find the technicalities of Hindustani classical music CARLO AT THE HEART OF
what they are looking for. Everyone will be able that then led to a desire to explore more genres MONACO, ALSO KNOWN
to marvel at the unique aquariums of the famous of music,” she says. “I was in the ninth grade when
Oceanographic Museum or stroll through the I enrolled for a summer programme in the USA.
AS THE SALLE GARNIER
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 11

Visit Monaco / brunch focus

sing. A lady walked up to me and asked if I was a

classical singer. I was singing repertoire, so her Location courtesy:
The Piano Man, Gurugram Monaco and
the opera
assumptionwasobvious.Thismeetingwasmeant
to be, I had found my mentor. A pianist herself, Outfit, Shantanu & Nikhil;
Jewellery, Ena J Singh
she took me under her wing and trained me.” Seth
not only went on to get admission in to her dream At the heart of this little European
school for music but also with a part scholarship. nation is a grand opera house

A
Performances at the Lincoln Center and
lthough Monaco is small in
Carnegie Hall saw Seth transitioning from her
size, it is still a place where
passion in music to making it a profession.
your inspirations can bloom. The
“It was an explorer’s journey. Whether it was
Principality cannot be outdone in
learning multiple languages or understanding
its exceptional density of Michelin-
different vocal techniques; the more I sought,
starred restaurants, prestigious
the more I found.”
events taking place throughout
From Om to opera the year or the many havens of
HowdidSethgetacquaintedwithoperaticmusic?
peace scattered within its hotel
“It wasn’t about art songs or opera, I just wanted establishments. But Monaco is
to learn different sounds and appreciate all forms also home to the Salle Garnier,
of music,” she says. “When I started learning Western the Opera House built by the
classical music, they used to make us famous architect Charles
So was it hard for her to acclimatise herself chant ‘Om’ to find resonance. Both,,
to a foreign rhythm? “When I started learning Hindustani and Western classical Garnier for whom it was
Western classical music, they used to make us music are inter-connected.” named. Jewel of the Casino
chant ‘Om’ to find resonance. Both, Hindustani –Pallavi Seth de Monte-Carlo, the Salle
andWesternclassicalmusicareinter-connected.
andWestern classicalmusicareinter-connected. Garnier continues to embody
The technique may be different, the placement the excess and boldness that
is different, but it’s still your voice.” #MonacoMoments characterised the building of the
and movies Casino de Monte-Carlo.
Adapting to “It was in 2018 and 2019 that I went The Opéra de Monte-Carlo has
Top: Pallavi shoots
the new around Italy and France. Even before for the video maintained the great opera tradition
For someone who is so at home we entered the bigger cities, we produced by while supporting creativity. The
on stage, the last year must have rformed on the outskirts. That
performed Visit Monaco and excellent acoustics of the Salle
HT Brunch with
been hard. “The process of was a beautiful experience,
experience,”
pianist Birraj
Garnier mean that the audience
adapting from the stage to she says. With a majestic Singh Taneja can enjoy amazing shows, such as
the digital space was tough Opera House in the Below: An aerial the Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival that
initially. But it has brought heart of this city, is
i view of Moanco brings the greatest jazz musicians
by night
everyone on the same Monaco where she together every autumn.
plane. We’ve all suffered aspires to perform? The Opéra de Monte-Carlo has
as one; we’ve dealt with “Of course, that is become a place where cultural
this situation as one. What an opportunity that I avant-garde blossoms, boosting
I’ve learnt is that music for look forward to. For a the distinguished status of this
me is therapy,” she explains, performer,
performer,, the Salle Garnier is the event hall among Europe’s most
saying that she also finds stage
stag
ge one would want to be on. on.” eminent venues. The awe-inspiring
people more approachable on Seth believes that the operatic
operati auditorium of the opera house is
social media. tonality will sit well with
decorated in red and gold with
ThegenreofmusicthatGen Bollywood music. “Bollywood
Photos: Satish Kumar; Make-up and Hair: Anuj Dogra
fine art and sculptures dotting
Z listens to is very different. is like a musical theatre, so
the interiors. Glance up at the
So how does Seth seek to find it’s obvious that while
whil
fresco-lined ceiling and you’re
their appreciation of this art this sound hasn’t
Exclusive! guaranteed to be blown away – a
form? “They don’t need to made its way into int
Monaco Tourism central chandelier is surrounded
fall in love with just the Bollywood music, I
opera, I’d want them to do look forward to an
and HT Brunch by four elaborate and descriptive
present an paintings – flamboyant yet elegant.
fall in love with music. introduc
opportunity to introduce exclusive
Everyone needs to the beauty of opera performance by International ballets, operas and
have an open heart and and art song to Pallavi Seth. concerts have been held here
an appreciation for song Bollywood,” she
Scan the code for more than a century. Grabbing
below to watch
and melody. It is about explains. Well, a show during your visit here is a
experiencing what it here’s an idea guaranteed highlight.
feels like in your bod
body to replace the #VisitMonaco
when you hear it.” remixes with #MonacoMoments
something new… #IndiaLovesMonaco
Outfit, Gaurav Gupta;
Jewellery, Ena J Singh or classic.
12 SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

columns

{ rude food }

VIR
SANGHVI

CRISP AND LIGHT

Amritsar kulchas
are light, flaky
and retain a crisp
texture outside,
despite being
coated with butter

The kulcha becomes cool

A trip to Amritsar turns into an adventure with Punjabi breads

I
t was a lazy morning in Amritsar. I had just ordered a room to the kulcha, it was not a home-style breakfast dish in Amritsar. For
service breakfast at the Raja Sansi Welcomhotel. The hotel a start, most Punjabis (in the cities, at least) don’t have tandoors at
is partly housed in a modern block but at its heart is the old home. They are happier to eat kulchas at specialist restaurants and
Rajasansi haveli. When I got to Amritsar, Tavleen Singh, the make parathas, pooris and the like at home.
distinguished columnist and author, messaged to say, “If But such was the clamour for kulchas that it got me thinking.
you get a chance you should go and see the Rajasansi Haveli that Almost every time you mention Amritsar to a foodie, the
belongs to my cousin and is now being run as an ITC Hotel. It is the conversation turns to kulchas. And while the kulchas I had in
last great Punjabi haveli on this side of the border.” Ludhiana were terrific, it is true that you never get kulchas of the
I replied that there was no need to visit the haveli. I was actually same quality as Amritsar’s in any other city.
staying there. I am now coming round to the view that kulchas are the wheat-
THE OG PARATHA “I am so happy that you are,” Tavleen responded. “I remember lover’s answer to the current biryani frenzy. Consider the parallels.
Chef Navneet Singh
is known for his aloo it from childhood when it was really a magical place full of rooms Both biryani and kulchas have been around for a really long time.
parathas, served with high ceilings and quilts made of brocade and velvet. And But it is only in the last ten years or so that they have become
with freshly-made huge glasses of milk and HUGE breakfasts. I hope it retains some national (well, North Indian, at any rate) obsessions. And though
white butter of its personality.” we have all had kulchas and biryanis from neighbourhood places
I replied that it did and decided that while I would skip the all our lives, we have suddenly become picky and quality conscious
glasses of milk, the HUGE breakfast seemed like a good idea. Hence about both dishes.
my room service order. Take my own kulcha journey. I had always known what a kulcha
The breakfast, when it came, was not HUGE by Amritsar was—well, up to a point anyway. I saw it as a kind of North Indian
standards but it was certainly filling. The chef, Navneet Singh, had

Lead photo: Culinary Culture

made some hot aloo parathas and served them with white butter
freshly made at the hotel. P
The combination of paratha and freshly-made butter is
irresistible so I enjoyed the breakfast thoroughly, took a picture and
THERE ARE TWO SECRETS TO A
posted it on Instagram. Lots of people liked the photo, but many kept GREAT KULCHA, I DISCOVERED:
asking the same question: why was I eating parathas in Amritsar? A WARM (RATHER THAN HOT)
Shouldn’t I be eating a kulcha, the city’s signature bread?
I responded weakly that while I yielded to no man in my devotion
TANDOOR AND THE EYE OF THE CHEF
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 13

columns

THE LAST HAVELI DESI PIE STUFFED SNACK

Amritsar's Rajasansi Haveli, the last great Chef Manish decided to design his kulchas so they were At his Moscow restaurant, chef Vineet
Punjabi haveli on this side of the border, is a little like Indian pies created stuffed kulchas as breads that
now being run as an ITC Hotel can be eaten on their own

stuffed bread. When I worked in the ABP office in Calcutta my kulcha rather than the naan for this purpose and started doing
lunch would consist of a masala kulcha and seekh kababs, brought kulchas with unusual stuffings (in Amritsar it is usually aloo, gobi,
to the office from the neighbouring Amber restaurant. paneer and not much else). This was not easy because often the
I liked those kulchas and the other ones I tried at restaurants all stuffings were too dry. So, the trick was to create stuffings that were
over India, but I did not give them much thought. Then I became moist but which did not leak through the kulcha.
friends with many Punjabi foodies in Delhi (of whom the most Vineet had other problems. He had just one tandoor so how
passionate was the late Arun Jaitley) who loved kulchas so much was he going to control the temperature? His solution was to hold
that they would bring down kulcha wallas from Amritsar to cook the skewer that had the kulcha near the mouth of the tandoor and
for Sunday lunch parties at their homes. not paste the kulcha on the hot wall of the oven. It took a little time
Those kulchas bore only a slight resemblance to the kulchas I but when he got it right, Vineet had created a classic which soon
had eaten before. They were light, (oh, all right: lighter), flaky and appeared on his (and everyone else’s) menus in London.
retained a crisp texture outside despite being coated with butter. Manish Mehotra was inspired to create his own kulchas, he
I didn’t really understand what it was that made them so terrific says, after visiting Amritsar. But he quickly came to the conclusion
till I began travelling to Amritsar. There are two secrets to a great that he would not be able to keep a designated tandoor in the
kulcha, I discovered: a warm (rather than hot) tandoor and the Indian Accent kitchen. So, he decided to design his kulchas so THE GLOBAL KULCHA
eye of the chef. At most restaurants outside Amritsar they make that they were a little like Indian pies: they became vehicles It was only after he became
kulchas in the same tandoor where they make naans and the for conveying other flavours. Manish started out simple, with internationally famous
that chef Vineet turned his
temperature is too high. In Amritsar, a kulcha walla uses a special applewood smoked bacon (both Floyd Cardoz in New York and attention to kulchas
tandoor only for kulchas, does not let it get too warm and lets Vineet had paired bacon with kulchas) but bit by bit, he began to
each kulcha cook slowly (about ten minutes). Because he pastes get more ambitious. Today, his kulchas are 65 per cent stuffing
many kulchas on the walls of the tandoor at different times, it is and only 35 per cent flour. Like Vineet’s they are designed to be
impossible to time the process. So, the cook has to know, just by eaten on their own.
looking at each kulcha, when it is ready. This is a difficult skill to That two great chefs should do their own thing with the kulcha
acquire which is why so many restaurants serve bad kulchas. is a mark of how trendy the bread has become. Others have taken
Chefs with some experience of Amritsari and Punjabi regional the trend forward. At Singapore’s smoking hot Revolver, Saurabh
cooking understand kulchas better than the rest. Vineet Bhatia Udinia (who started his career at Indian Accent) stuffs small
Photo (top centre): Rohit Chawla

had a pioneering way with naans over two decades ago when he kulchas (kuchettes) with Gruyere cheese and tops them with
was chef at the Star of India, long before he won his Michelin star. pulled pork.
But it was only after he became internationally famous that he So, even though I was berated for eating parathas rather than
turned his attention to kulchas. kulchas in Amritsar, I am pleased to see that the kulcha now has
It happened, he says, at his Moscow restaurant where he was told a life of its own. In some ways, it has progressed beyond biryani. For more columns by
that guests were requesting more kinds of breads. In most Indian Great chefs can’t do much with biryani. But kulchas just keep Vir Sanghvi, scan the
cuisines, the breads are a complement to the food. But Vineet began getting better and more interesting all the time. QR code. Follow Vir on
to think of breads that could be eaten on their own. He picked the The views expressed by the columnist are personal Twitter @virsanghvi
14 SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

columns

{ humour }

Five celebrations for the Age of Insta

REHANA
MUNIR From frilly clouds to pouting pooches, here’s honouring our favourite IG pursuits

H
ello and Happy World Contraception Day! It’s a thing, it’s
today, and I urge you all to celebrate responsibly. It’s a fertile
moment to recommend a few contemporary activities that
could do with a global observance day of their own, if only
on social media.

Cloud Photography Day

Sometime in the early days of the pandemic, the world discovered
clouds. By the world I mean those lucky enough to have some kind of
view of the sky, and a phone that can zoom as well as an organiser of
online self-improvement workshops. Locked up in our prison cells, we
looked to the heavens seeking freedom and meaning. What we got was
fluffy masses of condensed water vapour that we imbued with our own
interpretations. A kind of Rorschach ink blot test in the sky.
“I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It’s cloud illusions I recall
I really don’t know clouds at all”
sang the beautifully broken Joni Mitchell. I too have looked at
clouds—through Insta pics—and emerged none the wiser.
PET PEEVES
For most of us, the constant online updates of proud pet people are
Inspirational Quote Day a portal to another world
Who are we if not the sum total of the quotes we post on SM? The
Internet peddles quotable quotes like a bootlegger on a mission; no Pet Parade Day
one knows the provenance of these wares, but they’re there when you The older I grow, the less I want to have a pet myself. That is not
need them most. Misattributions abound. Like this famous one, tagged to say I do not love the pets of others: so playful, so adorable, so
everywhere as a Hemingway quote: “Write drunk; edit sober.” Yes, it someone else’s responsibility. For us “lazy, selfish and heartless”
sounds like everyone’s favourite literary shipwreck, but turns out there’s types, the constant online updates of proud pet people are a
no proof that links the quote to the novelist. The same goes for so many portal to another world. Pets reclining. Pets plotting murder.
quotes ascribed to Oscar Wilde, the flamboyant fount of gallons of Pets dispensing affection. Pets in strange places. And so on. The
sparkling wit. Fellow humourist Dorothy Parker summed it up best: latest iPhone campaign, with billboards everywhere, plays on the
“If, with the literate, I am ubiquity of pet photos. However, the black and white close-ups
Impelled to try an epigram, of pets in human clothing and accessories give me the creeps. An
I never seek to take the credit; advertising misfire, I feel. The best thing about pets is that they
We all assume that Oscar said it.” aren’t human, right pet people?

Yoga Pose Day Food Fad Day

For all its meditative associations, yoga is a madly competitive sport Scrambling an egg with some leftover sabzi this morning,
in the virtual world. Hardly a day goes by when I do not see a post I examined the result and was struck by how perfectly
featuring a sweaty body performing contortionist feats of varying unphotogenic the result was. Then I stripped a slice of processed
brilliance, all with a smug smile aimed at the chronically inflexible. cheese to add to the general uncoolness of the plate and thought
Often, these feats are performed in scenic locations by an uncommonly of kombucha. It’s a kind of fermented tea, I’m told, making me
attractive specimen in flattering workout attire, making me reconsider instantly recoil in horror. But it’s inescapable these days. Just like
my own exercise apparel that I dignify with the label “athleisure wear”. kale and edamame were when they first captured the collective
The headstand is a particular favourite with the Insta yogis; I too aspire imagination of the diet deities of Khan Market and Pali Naka,
to that upside-down view of things, confronting the absurdity of reality and from there, the menus of woke cafés everywhere. Sugar
with an equally absurd perspective. went from white to brown to raw to absent. Meals from frequent
Photo imaging: Parth Garg

to intermittent. Avocado toast and overnight oats became a

For more columns

P needlessly big deal. And now we’re in the micro-era (I hope) of
kombucha. I confess I love scrolling through pictures of artfully-
by Rehana Munir,
FOR ALL ITS MEDITATIVE ASSOCIATIONS, plated meals featuring the most mindful recipes. While eating my
scan the QR code. YOGA IS A MADLY COMPETITIVE SPORT comfortingly messy eggs scrambled with leftover sabzi.
Follow Rehana on
Twitter @rehana_munir
IN THE VIRTUAL WORLD. [email protected]
Follow @rehana_munir on Twitter and Instagram
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 15

music
c

In December 2020, Cherry's cover of the enrolled in music classes for a month in
By Karishma Kuenzang
Eagles’ Hotel California went viral. Salasar, three hours away from Jaipur.
Cherry aka Daatri Dadhich's stage It helps that her parents are super

W
hen you’re a Gen Z, name is actually her nickname supportive. “Of course, my mom has
at home
you probably make comments about me being on the phone
your social media incorporate a few instruments all day, but they do realise the importance
debut before you in the process. Then, the of social media. They share my work on
hit your teens. At least that was results started pouring in. In WhatsApp and Facebook,” she says.
the case with Cherry aka Daatri December 2020, her cover of
Dadhich, 17, who first logged onto the Eagles’ Hotel California Studying music
Instagram and started posting got 5k views overnight and The humanities student plans to pursue vocals
covers when she was nine years then shot to 50k, complete with a and songwriting abroad—hopefully in LA. “I
old and had just been introduced to t comment from Nucleya. When her knew I would do music when I started posting
One Direction. Her first song, a cover favourite actor Ayushmann Khurrana covers. Apart from studying it, practising
of Taylor Swift’s Blank Spaces, got 29 started following her earlier this year and performing is something I’m looking
views, a huge deal for the now-class and shared her work, she was on forward to abroad. Even cover artistes there
12 student of Jayshree Periwal High ream eam top of the moon. Her followers get a licence and there’s a sense of security
School, Jaipur.

went from 1k to 8.6k during the in terms of finances in LA. Our scene is still
lockdown and she even did her developing,” says Cherry, who last year had
Lockdown luck

first paid show—a one-hour to abandon her plan of moving to Mumbai to
The lockdown last year gave birthday performance for an complete her schooling and study music at
Cherry the opportunity to Indian couple living in the US. the same time due to the pandemic.
practice a lot more, and even “A lot of people started DM-ing “But the pandemic has helped me grow
me with paragraphs of appreciation music-wise and as a musician, more than I

P for my work. I’ve taken screenshots and

will get them framed. It’s what keeps me
did in the five years before that put together,”
says the teen who’s written a lot of original
“PEOPLE ARE NOW going. People are now using my audios for songs too, including one she plans to release
their stories and someone even made an later this year.
USING MY AUDIOS FOR
Instagram filter for my cover of La Vie En “Today, people in my town and everywhere
THEIR [INSTAGRAM] Rose. I get my motivation from people on I go recognise me as the girl who sings. And
STORIES AND SOMEONE screen, people in my DMs and comments,” that’s such a special feeling,” the Gen Z teen
EVEN MADE A FILTER says Cherry, who had been so certain she concludes.
would do music someday that she began
FOR MY COVER." taking her singing seriously in class 4 and
[email protected]
Follow @kkuenzang on Twitter and Instagram
books

c in ti n in
e e ee d nd


erin s ethin uni ue
is cruci . ut r etin is
i rt nt t .
hin r , che
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 17

books

place once due to hype. So, word-of-mouth

By Karishma Kuenzang
is what I’ve stuck by through the last
decade, even on social media,” she says.

I
magine travelling abroad and eating How important is marketing
something that changes your life and yourself today? “A combination of
defines your career after you bring it back making people feel good and offering
home with you. Then, years later, you something unique are crucial. But
meet the chef who changed your whole life marketing in any industry is important
and spend an entire evening talking about as it’s how people find out what you
the dish. The bonus? The chef writes the do,” she elaborates.
foreword for your new book and send it to Her mantra when she sits
you on your birthday! down to ideate? “I ask myself
That’s what happened to Pooja Dhingra, how are you bringing joy to
35, India’s reigning queen of macaron, who someone with your product?” The
had her first bite of Pierre Hermes’ macaron answer may lie in collaborating with another
at his store in Paris in 2008 and, on her return person or following something else you’re Pooja got her includes the likes of Masaba Gupta and Rhea
to India, opened a bakery called Le15 Patisserie passionate about, like K Drama for Pooja. “It’s first taste of a and Sonam Kapoor? “It helps me a lot to have
that is now a beloved franchise. about going with your instincts, doing what macaron at Pierre a group of people who understand what I’m
you understand and love,” she emphasises. Hermes’ store in going through. I’ve always had a great support
Paris in 2008
True love and, on her system of women around me and I’m grateful
Pooja admits to being a total Pierre Hermes Fame and girl gang return to India, for girl gang in my life,” Pooja smiles.
fan-girl who has devoured all his books Ask her if her association with famous opened a bakery The Covid pandemic has forced Pooja to face
through the years. “Le15 wouldn’t exist in personalities has helped her, and she nods. “In called Le15 difficult questions about her business. With the
the form it does if I hadn’t had that macaron,” terms of discoverability for sure. We do make food and beverage and hospitality industries
says the chef-entrepreneur who met Pierre in cakes for celebs and well-known people, which hit hard by last year’s lockdown, she had to
Paris as a part of the Indian delegation. Then helps.” And what about her girl gang which think about possibilities such as shutting down
the two followed each other on Instagram. part of the business or even the whole thing.
Which brings us to the extensive use this Participate in the “I asked myself what I would do if I can’t
millennial has made of social media to spread do what I am doing currently. What is my
the word about her business. #BrunchBookChallenge identity linked to if I don’t do this? I had
been passionate about baking for 10 years.
Visit online: read.ht/yrz
P But I asked myself if I still was passionate
when I was just baking for myself through
"WE ARE THE INTERNET the lockdown,” she recalls. “Fortunately, I
GENERATION, AND WHEN found the courage to keep going and felt a
renewed sense of purpose after that.”
I STARTED, MY PHONE That’s when she thought about encapsulating
FELT LIKE AN EXTENSION the whole experience in her latest book, her
OF MY ARM. ALL I DID sixth, titled Coming Home.
WAS TAKE PICTURES OF “I started my career by baking for fun—family
and friends were my customers. I made cookies
MY PRODUCTS AND PUT at 3am with my brother and ate them. I felt
THEM ON FACEBOOK. this had to be in the book,” she says about the
FRIENDS WOULD SEE nostalgia segment of her book, which pulls from
herchildhood—flapjacksfromTarla Dalal recipe
AND ORDER!”
books, halwa her nani would make and desserts
“We are the internet generation and when inspired by pineapple cake.
I started Le15 in 2010, my phone felt like an Any learnings from the pandemic? “To not
extension of my arm. I was 23, I didn’t know over-complicate things. In the early days of the
anything about public relations or marketing. COOKBOOKS IN THE pandemic, I went from being used to having
All I did was take pictures of my products and
put them on Facebook. Friends and family
DIGITAL ERA? kitchen full of ingredients to not being able to
find basic ones! And as I started simplifying
"I am part of the generation
would see the pictures and order. And then things in the home pantry, I extended that
striding both digital and
I moved to Instagram, which is a great visual to life, too. I’ve learned to take each day as it
medium when it comes to food,” says Pooja, who
physical platforms. There are a comes—there are so many fires to put out every
views social media platforms as a brilliant way lot of recipes online these days, single day and no sugar coating, just like in the
to directly connect with customers, understand but cookbooks are by experts. book,” concludes the Mumbai girl.
problems with products and resolve issues. This means the recipes have
[email protected]
“My approach to work is always product been tested a million times, Follow @kkuenzang on Twitter
first because if people believe in your product which assures me that the taste
Pooja Dhingra, 35, is a celebrity pastry chef and
after eating it, they will refer it to other will be as promised." the owner of Le15 Patisserie, which specialises in
people. Remember, people will only try a macarons and French desserts.
18 SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

fashion

J ,
a a ha dwa a
, arii
, rajita T r

True Blue
From utilitarian trench coats and stylish saris to
tailored separates perfect for lounging, this season,
the centuries-old indigo-hued fabric is more
versatile than ever
fresher and modern iterations.
Text and styling by Drishti Vij
Designer Karan Torani says,
Photos by Tushar Bhardwaj
“Indigo instantly sparks the picture

I
n India, making indigo cloth has of the revolts by Indigo farmers
long been a part of our cultural, during the British Raj. From the
political and historical realm. This Ashok Chakra to the royal families
dark, glossy dye, which means wearing deep blues, it’s truly the
‘the Indian’ or ‘from India’, originated colour of India.” Desig gner Nachiket
more than 5,000 years ago when Barve aggrees, “It’s one of the rare
our ancestors in India, East Asia and colours that works as well for
Egypt used the blue dye extracted summers as it does for winters. It’s
from the Indigofera tinctoria plant to veryy versatile. You can dress it upp or
dye their clothes. It was so rare that down. Plus, one can easily y even
only royalty could afford it. wear it during g festivities.”
In India, it was during the early y
part of the 19th century y that around
30,000 acres of land was eng gagged in P
the cultivation of indiggo. From army
uniforms to the queen’s bed linen,
“INDIGO INSTANTLY
this blue dye was one of the most SPARKS THE PICTURE OF
ubiquitous dyes. It is, in fact, the THE REVOLTS BY INDIGO
oldest natural dye that can be used to
lend colour to any kind of fibre.
FARMERS DURING THE
Over time, the production of BRITISH RAJ. FROM THE
synthetic indigo has mostly replaced ASHOK CHAKRA TO
the naturally-derived indigo dye. India THE ROYAL FAMILIES
was the only country that went on
producing indigo from natural sources
WEARING DEEP BLUES,
until the beginning of the First World IT’S TRULY THE
War. Regardless of this, time and COLOUR OF INDIA.”
again, brands back home and across — KARAN TORANI,
the world have metamorphosed and FASHION DESIGNER
presented this centuries-old dye in
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 19

fashion

“DON’T PAIR THE

INDIGO DRESS WITH
Art direction:
Amit Malik
LEATHER HEELS”
Hair and make-up: —NACHIKET BARVE,
Pooja Gosain
Model: Swapnil Jolie DESIGNER
(Blunt Creative
Management),
Ansh Duggal

Coat and co-ords,

Yavi; shoes,
Melissa

Dress and shirt,

Twofold; shoes,
Needledust;
earrings, Zariin

USHERINAUTUMN ATREASURETROVE
BLUES OFCOMFORT
Wear this roomy indigo trench coat when it gets a Be easy chic in this relaxed indigo dress
tad chilly
STYLE IT BY: “Pairing the dress with espadrilles or flats,” says
STYLE IT BY: “Wearing it as it is or teaming it up with boyfriend designer Nachiket Barve.
jeans or a wide trouser to keep up the slouchy-chic vibe,” says ACCESSORISE WITH: “A vegetable-dyed bag,” he says.
fashion stylist Rishi Raj. BEST SUITED FOR: “An office that’s in the arts or lifestyle
ACCESSORISE WITH: “Something minimal, if anything at all,” space,” he says.
says Rishi. KEEP IN MIND: “To not wear something super glam like
BEST SUITED FOR: “Every single skin tone, whether it’s warm or leather heels,” he advises.
cool, in undertones. Cinch in the waist of the jacket with a belt or a
tie-up, and it can actually help emphasise an hourglass figure. It is
a great silhouette for almost every body type,” he says.
KEEP IN MIND: “Adding too much bulk or too many layers
to this already voluminous silhouette would be a bad idea,” advises Rishi.
20 SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

fashion

“AVOID FORMAL
SHOES WITH INDIGO
DENIMS”
—AMY BILLIMORIA,
STYLIST

Jacket and co-ords, Shirt, Indigene; Jeans,

AMPM; Jewellery, Levi’s; shoes, Nike
Zariin

BLUES FOR BEGINNERS ME AND MY BLUE JEANS

Take this indigo-hued long vest from work to play Keep it comfortable with indigo-dyed denims
STYLE IT BY: “Wearing it with denims and a ganji. You can STYLE IT BY: “Any shirt or T-shirt that’s equally comfortable,”
also replace the denims with a crinkled cotton skirt and a says celebrity stylist Amy Billimoria.
choli,” says fashion designer Karan Torani. ACCESSORISE WITH: “Loafers or sneakers,” she adds.
ACCESSORISE WITH: “Stacking up bangles and bracelets on BEST SUITED FOR: “Someone who wants to wear something
your arm,” he adds. cool yet comfortable,” she says.
BEST SUITED FOR: “All working women. It’s a versatile piece KEEP IN MIND: “To not wear formal shoes with this look,”
of clothing and can be easily dressed up or down depending she says.
on where you have to go,” he opines.
KEEP IN MIND: “To not go tone-on-tone. You don’t have to
look like a pantone shade card. Make the look your own. Break
it with some contrast colours,” he says.
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 21

fashion

“ADDING
COLOURFUL
ACCENTS PROJECTS
PLAYFULNESS”
–RISHI RAJ, STYLIST

On Ansh:
Suit, Antaragni;
shoes, Nike

On Swapnil:
Suit, Antaragni;
earrings, Zariin

Sari and blouse,

Chidiyaa;
earrings, Zariin

A BLUE-COLLAR JOB THE WHOLE NINE

Keep it casual by sporting a relaxed indigo-dyed shirt and trousers YARDS
Look earthy yet formal in an indigo-hued sari
For him:
STYLE IT BY: “Wearing a scarf or stole on top of the shirt or keep it as it is. It’s a STYLE IT BY: “Draping the sari loosely with a printed
cool everyday look,” says designer Karan Torani. blouse,” says fashion designer Nachiket Barve.
ACCESSORISE WITH: “A fanny pack and a couple of rings,” he says. ACCESSORISE WITH: “Silver jewellery or even a pearl
BEST SUITED FOR: “Working from home or even running errands. It can also necklace,” he adds.
be dressed up for the festive season by adding a nice shawl to it,” he adds. BEST SUITED FOR: “A boardroom meeting. It’s a good
KEEP IN MIND: “To not tuck the shirt into the pants. This is a relaxed, comfortable look to take from office to lunch if you feel like wearing
look. Do not try to make it seem too fitted or wear a belt with it,” he says. something Indian to work,” he says.
For her: KEEP IN MIND: “To not add blingy accessories. Less is
STYLE IT BY: “Adding some colourful, boho-chic accents to project some more,” he suggests.
playfulness,” says celebrity stylist Rishi Raj.
ACCESSORISE WITH: “Oxidised silver jewellery,” he adds. [email protected]

BEST SUITED FOR: “Someone looking to create an hourglass shape,” he says. Follow @HTBrunch on Twitter and Instagram

KEEP IN MIND: “To avoid layering this look too much as that’ll take away from
the streamlined look. Instead, choose to add a statement piece or two to
create impact,” he cautions.
6, 2021
{ This or that? }
Romcoms or action films?

in bed with… Romcoms, as they are evergreen. I like the

South film called Bheeshma and Hollywood
romcoms like Friends with Benefits and
fri Love and other Drugs.
Bungee jumping or paragliding?
Paragliding is more fun because it lasts longer.
Mountains or beaches?
Beaches because they have very good

webserries f e:
looking women!
Films or web series?
Films. I’ve always been a film guy. I

h a storry fa like to finish a story in the span

of two to three hours.

a g i ist three thin s no on ne no s about you hat are you urrent y at hin
. I like to eat alone. Lucifer, which doesn’t make me think while
c . I have a lot of freckles on my face which watching it—it’s a time pass show.
. people can’t see becausee of my beard including
a massive one under myy eyebrows. e us hat you are rea in ri ht no
. I sit and talk to my moom for minutes every I’m reading Blood and il ohammed bin
night before I go to sleep p. Salman’s Ruthless uest for lobal Power by
Bradley Hope, ustin Scheck, about the life of
hat in o sho s o you en oy the crown prince of Saudi rabia. I read books
I en oy movies, cartoonss, anime. on business and investments, too.
t I watch nglish and Hin ndi classics. I ust saw
a clip of Pyaasa, so I’m going to watch it in my es ribe yourse in a hashta i i g
y A theatre. I watch even
n while eatingg. Rockstar.

in
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