A BYTE OF LIFE Monday, December 22, 2008

11 Entrepreneur at 25
05
DARE BARE JOHN
JA’s next film is to feature Rajesh Kanagasabai runs his own
a full monty consultancy firm in Velachery

FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 2 No. 243

He is back in the news and

for good reasons, for a
change. Srikanth on his role
in ‘Poo’ and his future plans

» PAGE 10
PHOTO: S.S.KUMAR
02 NAMMA CHENNAI
Christmas with
PlayStation 3
All those who have been waiting for
Christmas to get more playful can now
rejoice. The new Christmas prices for the
PlayStation 3 model have been
announced. Backed by the launch of a
number of attractive titles and platinum
price points for games; the 40 GB PS3
prices have been set at Rs. 22,990, down
Rs. 2,000 from its original price.
Moreover, each 40GB PS3 will be
accompanied by a free game software
to get one started.
This offer is only valid till December 25.
ERGO Monday, December 22, 2008
Party time for your kids
Magic Hat, the play lounge for children at Sathyam cinemas, will
remain open till 3.30 a.m. on New Year’s Day. So if you are
planning a ‘spirited’ party and are thinking about leaving the kids
to have their own fun, just dial 65666777 for registrations. And
hurry, because registrations close on December 27.
Sen for reservations
Nobel winner
supports
affirmative action
N
obel Laureate Amartya
Sen on Sunday supported
reservation during admis-
sion into Indian Institutes
of Technology (IITs) for the under
privileged sections as the step
would benefit the society in the
long run.
Addressing the plenary session
at PanIIT 2008, a conference of
IIT alumni in Chennai, he said:
“In Sanskrit, there are many
words equivalent to justice. The
two important words are ‘nidhi’
and ‘nyaya’. The former is about
institutions and their rules of be-
haviour while the later is about
realisation of the benefits. People
Noble laureate Amartya Sen at the valedictory session
who are benefited from affirma-
of Pan IIT 2008, the global conference for IIT alumni,
tive action tend to contribute
in Chennai. PHOTO: BIJOY GHOSH
more for the poorer sections of
the society.” malnourished children and illit- noted.
According to Sen, the econom- eracy rate is high,” he added. He said many of the serious
ic slowdown will have its impact He said famines do not occur concerns of poor like hunger,
on the government spending on in functioning democracies as al- education and healthcare do not
social sectors like education, so in places where the media is get the attention of the media
health and others and it is impor- free and the opposition is strong. and are crowded out by other is-
tant to protect public income. “But in India, there is a huge pop- sues. ■
“India has high proportion of ulation that is malnourished,” he IANS
NEEDED: HELP
Children at Hands of Compassion need sleeping mats,
sheets, soaps and health checkups
ERGO CORRESPONDENT
feedback@goergo.in
C an you ever imagine your child
sleeping on a concrete floor
without a mattress or bed sheets?
No? Then it is time you know that
there are children in namma
Chennai who face many struggles
for survival.
Soya Somanathan, an IT pro-
fessional working with Trimble
Navigation Limited, recently vis-
ited Hands of Compassion, a
home-cum-school which shelters er firms to extend help. The care- of Compassion located near Van-
about 110 children between the taker of the home has told Soya nian Chathram Bus Stop (behind
ages of 2 and 16 years. She says that they need sleeping mats, bed the Panchayat office), Alamathy
that the children, who are victims sheets, towels and soaps urgent- Road, Redhills, Chennai. Or, drop
of terror attacks in the north- ly. The children also require eye your contributions at: Trimble
eastern part of India, live and and dental checkups. Also, it Navigation Limited, A North,
study in the school comprising would be nice if every child could Ninth Floor, Tidel Park, No. 4, Ca-
seven sheds on an acre of land. get a small gift for Christmas or nal Bank Road, Taramani, Chen-
Soya, who plans to help these New Year. nai - 600113. For details contact
kids through Trimble, also wants Persons interested in helping Arun Reddy of Trimble Naviga-
likeminded volunteers from oth- these kids can directly visit Hands tion Limited at 98409 11350. ■
Monday, December 22, 2008
Twinkle, twinkle
RISING STAR
Broadway performer Shaun Parry
has been busy imparting dance lessons
at the Rising Star Outreach school
(Top) Shaun Parry performs with the children at Rising Star Outreach.
(Left) The Christmas celebrations. PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN
SHALINI SHAH
shalinishah@goergo.in
I
t’s on a Saturday that we, a bunch of
journalists, accompany the group
from Courtyard by Marriott on one
of their regular visits to the Rising
Star Outreach school that they help run
near Uthiramerur, an hour-and-a-half
drive from Chennai.
It’s the last day of school for the chil-
dren before they head home for the va-
cations. If you ignore the fact that the
150 children studying and living here
are children of leprosy-affected par-
ents, it’s like any other pre-vacation
day. Parents are busy collecting report
cards from their wards’ teachers and
the kids are soaking in the fact that
books can be forgotten for a few days.
Also, this is the day of the culmination
of Shaun Parry’s month-long efforts.
The Broadway performer is here in
his capacity as a member of Prometh-
ean Spark, the NGO he started to help
the underprivileged develop a more
positive outlook through arts-based
programmes. Promethean Spark be-
cause he believes that “one spark is all
that is needed”.
It’s still some time before the chil-
dren perform what Shaun has taught
them. As some volunteers play DJ in
the meantime, popular Vijay numbers
appear a clear favourite. “I don’t know
Indian dance, so I haven’t tried teach-
ing it,” explains Shaun. Vijay numbers,
clearly, can wait another day.
“A lot of people see dance as someth-
ing liberating. It is. But dance is also
about discipline and focus, and that’s
what I have tried to teach the children,”
03
he says. Having been a part of Broad-
way productions such as Phantom of
the Opera, Cats, Beowulf and Aida, this
man should know. Parry has also per-
formed with the New York Theatre Bal-
let and Martha Graham Dance
Company.
A stint in Peru laid the seeds of Pro-
methean Spark, which is now based in
New York. “We were a group of 30 in a
room with barely enough standing
space,” he says, recalling Peru.
A chance encounter with Becky Dou-
glas, founder of Rising Star Outreach,
took place in New York. Becky, real-
ising the motivational potential of his
programmes, brought Shaun to India.
He comes down for a month every year.
“It’s not just about what you see on
stage today. It’s also about the shift in
attitude,” says Shaun on the perfor-
mances that are to start shortly. He is
now trying to rope in dance schools in
the city to send in volunteers to contin-
ue the classes once he leaves.
As each class, beginning from Class I,
comes on stage on by one, Shaun, in
head-to-toe black, gets to his position
in front of the stage. With the children
eager to watch others perform, it takes
a little coaxing to make them go back-
stage and get ready for their own. You
notice that during performances all
eyes and heads on stage are turned to
one side – the side where Shaun is mak-
ing movements for them to imitate.
With Parry’s perfect steps and the chil-
dren’s sincerest attempts, it’s quite a
sight. ‘The lion sleeps tonight’ and El-
vis’ ‘Come on everybody’ receive a
huge round of applause. Nobody is
missing Vijay. ■
04 KALEIDOSCOPE
Brit taxpayers have paid for ministers’ parking fines
P
arking fines run up by Cab-
inet ministers have cost
British taxpayers a stagger-
ing 33,000 pounds in the
last three years, almost 1,000
pounds a month.
While the ministers are re-
quired to pay their own fines, re-
ports suggest that they exploit a
security loophole to get the
amount out of the public’s pock-
ets.
“Motorists will be outraged by
this. They are already being
fleeced left, right and centre-now
they are having to pay for politic-
ians’ parking fines,” News of the
World quoted a fuming Hugh
Bladen, of the Association of Brit-
ish Drivers, as saying.
Figures from the Department
for Transport have reveal that
Cabinet ministers were hit with
13,930 pounds in parking fines
this year, and 7,540 pounds and
11,928 pounds in the previous
ERGO Monday, December 22, 2008
While the ministers
two years.
Transport Minister Lord Bas-
sam admitted: “Parking tickets
are required to pay
remain the responsibility of the their own fines,
individual.” reports suggest that
He, however, added: “The go-
vernment car and despatch agen- they exploit a
cy pays parking fines incurred security loophole to
operationally in circumstances
where the overriding security re-
get the amount out
quirements necessarily dictate of the public’s
the choice of parking location.” ■ pockets
ANI
Telesoft Tech to
introduce solution for
fraud detection
U K-based Telesoft
Technologies, which
manufactures equip-
our India operations
will double the Euro-
pean operations. To
ment for monitoring fuel the growth we will
fixed and mobile tele- continue investing in
phony networks, will India,” he said.
launch a solution to The actual location-
help telecom compa- based applications are
nies pin down frauds in provided by SIs and
their networks. OEMs, who access the
“We are in talks with information using Tele-
clients to provide the soft’s probe technolo-
telecom operators pas- gy. Typical applications
sive monitoring probe,” include directing mo-
Telesoft Technologies bile subscribers to the
Director, Sales and nearest cash machine
Marketing, Andy Evri- or providing weather
pides said. report of a geographic
The probe solution area.
can be connected to The solution can help
any mobile network in fraud detection in
and it provides the sig- telephony networks
naling information re- such as finding spoof
lated to location of a numbers that cannot
subscriber within 100- be billed and network
500 meters. abuse.
Besides, the compa- The signaling infor-
ny plans to invest 2-3 mation in a mobile net-
million pounds over a work contains location
couple of years to cus- information such as cell
tomise their products ID and area informa-
for the Indian market. tion that allows loca-
“We expect in two tion-based services. ■
years the revenue from PTI
The solution can help in fraud
detection in telephony networks
such as finding spoof numbers
that cannot be billed and
network abuse
 Monday, December 22, 2008
Building success
Rajesh Kanagasabai has his own design consulting firm at the age of 25.
And he built it out of the money earned from a BPO job.
VIPASHA SINHA
R
esigning from a lucrative
job to start an independent
venture was a resolutely
easy decision for 25-year-
old Rajesh Kanagasabai.
While pursuing his Architec-
ture degree at SRM College, Ra-
jesh always knew that he had to
establish and run his own busi-
ness. But accomplishing that
dream had never been easy for
him because he was a first gener-
ation entrepreneur of his family.
One-man army
“Life had been fun during col-
lege,” he recalled in an interview
to Ergo. “But once I decided to
start my own business, the in-
vestment required was a big con-
cern. I did not want to take
money from my parents and to
earn money the faster way I
joined a BPO. After four years of
savings, I was confident enough
to take the next step. I was crit-
icized for resigning on a job high
but I had other plans in life.”
While working, his mornings
were dedicated to practising ar-
chitecture dna the nights to his
job.
After slogging for four years, he
started his company ‘Shrrushti
Kartha’ in 2007. The company is
into designing residences, bun-
galows and is looking forward to-
wards commercial campuses.
One can feel the sense of art
and architectural knowledge after
entering the Shrrushti Kartha of-
fice. Keeping the sun as the
theme, the details and the colour
scheme makes the office a design
in itself. “I wanted to design my
office in such a way that once
people enter, they feel like they
are in safe hands and automat-
ically trust my work. My office
was my first piece of work after
starting the business,” says
Rajesh
Working in a BPO didn’t only
give him the moolah but also pro-
vided him with fair amount of ex-
perience and healthy contacts.
“The communication and man-
agerial part of business I learnt
during my job. Apart from that I
got to know many people who
“Once I decided to
start my own business,
the capital was the
biggest concern.
I did not want to
take money from
my parents.”
later helped in my business in
some ways.” adds Rajesh.
Matter of awareness
After crossing the initial capi-
tal-hurdle, spreading awareness
was the next concern. Appointing
an architect to design is consi-
dered as a rich man’s fair in India,
in that case to establish a brand
new company was a challenge.
On several occasions, Rajesh
had to explain people what archi-
tecture was all about, after they
gave blank looks when he intro-
duced himself.
“People don’t realise that
building a house needs a proper
planning. It’s just not about the
bricks, cements and the look
alone; we have to take care of
things like safety from earth-
quakes, aesthetics, usage of ther-
mal resistant material, chemical
treatments involved and most
05
PHOTO: R.RAVINDRAN
importantly the usage of colour
combinations to create positive
psychiatric effect,” he explains.
Against all the odds and after
facing several struggles, the com-
pany under Rajesh has tasted
success. From their first client – a
Singapore based client’s resi-
dence – to the bigger projects, he
handles every client of his with
the same passion.
The company had recent reco-
vered its capital investments and
has even managed “reasonable”
profits of late.
Rajesh dreams of making Nam-
ma Chennai a skyscraper paradi-
se. ■
First Innings is our weekly
column celebrating the spirit of
entrepreneurship.
If you know any entrepreneur
whom you think can be featured in
this column, write to us at
firstinnings@goergo.in
06 VILLAGE ERGO Monday, December 22, 2008

New pants smell

The smell of a football changing room has
been made into a new aftershave by the
makers of a popular sports game.

Group asks Google to stop British-Indian shopkeeper banned

map image service from telling jokes!
A group of Japanese lawyers and professors A British-Indian
asked on Friday that Google Inc stop provid- shopkeeper has been
ing detailed street-level images of Japanese ci- told he faces prosecu-
ties on the Internet, saying they violated tion unless he stops
privacy rights. Google’s Street View offers putting jokes on lea-
ground-level, 360-degree views of streets in 12 flets advertising his
Japanese cities and is also offered for some 50 store over Christmas.
cities in the United States and certain areas in Police officers have
Europe. warned Bob Singh, of
Reuters Port Talbot, South
Wales, that he could
face prosecution for
breaching public or-
Support, fame, marriage offers - der if he did not stop.
Singh has been left
the shoe-thrower has it all baffled by the police
Despite being detained by Iraqi forces, the reporter who intervention. “The
threw his shoes at US president George W. Bush now seems to world has gone crazy. They wouldn’t tell me which jokes were
have more than what he ever wished for before this incident. offensive or who had complained about them,” he said. Some
With hundreds of groups carrying his name on Facebook, text of Singh’s jokes include: What is the technical name for three
messages hailing his action being sent from one cell phone to days of horrendous weather followed by bright sunshine? A
another and protests held all over the Arab world supporting Welsh Bank Holiday! What do you call a sheep with no legs? A
him, Montazer al- Zaidi has turned into an instant sensation in Cloud!
the region. The 29-year-old reporter threw his shoes at Bush on ANI
Sunday during a press
conference Bush held
with Iraqi Prime Minister
Nuri al-Maliki. As al-Zaidi
shouted in Arabic: “This is
Sneering UK bankers release ‘Credit
a farewell kiss from the
Iraqis, dog,” A page for al-
Crunch Christmas’ song
Zaidi on the social net- A group of bankers in Britain have released a song about
working website Face- the economic misery that millions of people have been fac-
book has more than ing, entitled ‘Credit Crunch Christmas’. A member of the
14,500 fans, while “One group, called the City Boyz, has revealed that he roped in his
Million Shoes for George young son to sing. According to reports, the song was made
W. Bush” is just one ex- during a boozy session, and it has echoes of Harry Enfield’s
ample of the groups ded- loathsome Loadsa money TV character from the 1980s, with
icated to al-Zaidi - some the line: “We have made loadsa money, in fact we’re swim-
calling for his release, oth- ming in it.” It begins with the child singing about how people
ers hailing his courage. are sad due to the credit crunch.
DPA ANI

BSNL losing Rs 400 cr a year for telegram services

S
tate-run BSNL is losing
about Rs 400 crore a year for
fulfilling yet another social
obligation – telegram ser-
vice.
The PSU, which delivers the
telegram messages to people,
carries crores of messages a year
and since the service is offered
much below cost, the losses
mount as the volume goes up,
sources in the PSU said.
As per an estimate, the losses
could be around Rs 400 crore a
year from such heavily subsidise
service, sources said.
When contacted, BSNL Chair-
man and Managing Director Kul-
deep Goyal told PTI, “Telegram
service of BSNL is a loss making
proposition. We would like to
have USO subsidy from the Go-
vernment to cover this service”.
Even in an age of internet, SMS
and instant messaging, the im-
portance of telegram has not di-
minished as the message sent
The PSU, which
delivers the
telegram messages
to people, carries
crores of messages
a year and since the
service is offered
much below cost,
the losses mount as
the volume goes up
through it is admissible in court
as proof making it a sound mech-
anism for Government offices to
use this process.
Sources said even if tariffs
could be revised in anytime, it
would not match the huge gap
between the cost of sending a tel-
egram for BSNL and the consum-
er tariffs.
Unlisted BSNL, which has seen
its marketshare eroding in mobile
services due to heavy competi-
tion, also suffers huge losses due
to its legacy operations of giving
telecom facilities to rural and re-
mote parts of the country.
Though it gets most of the USO
Fund at a later stage through bid-
ding, it does have to pay for USO A telegram from Count Basie to a promoter is on display at the
Fund like private players first. ■ Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on December 2, 2008, press
PTI preview day. AFP PHOTO
 Monday, December 22, 2008
07

One look is all it takes

NEWS AND NEWSMAKERS IN PICTURES

Ecuadorian
artist John
Vargas presents
a body paint
model during
the pre-opening
of Colombia
Exposhow-New
York in Cali,
department of
Valle del Cauca.
AFP PHOTO

Akshay Kumar addresses the participants before a run

with ’Flame of Hope’ during a programme ’Special
Olympics World Winter Games 2009’ at Red fort in
New Delhi on Sunday. PTI PHOTO

Aamir Khan
gives his a
fan a haircut
during the
promotion
’Ghajini’ in
New Delhi
on Sunday.
AFP PHOTO

Quote of the day

‘‘
If the makers of
the film worked
hard on the look of
Aamir’s character Sanjay
Singhania, there was
equal effort to keep my
look very ordinary and
Indonesian anti-terror army special forces K-9 unit take
part in a counter-terrorism drill at Borobudur five-star simple”
hotel in Jakarta on Sunday. AFP PHOTO Asin on her character Kalpana in
Ghajini
08 SPORT ERGO Monday, December 22, 2008

Dokic earns Australian Open wildcard

Former world No. 4 Jelena Dokic has won a direct wildcard entry into next month’s Australian
Open by winning a qualifying tournament in Melbourne on Sunday. Dokic, who came from a set
down to beat Queensland junior Monica Wejnert 6-7, 7-5, 6-3, will now attempt to qualify for
lead-up tournaments in Brisbane and Hobart in the New Year. The 25-year-old Dokic, a former
Wimbledon semi-finalist, is currently 179th in the world rankings.

‘BCCI not at fault’

Hayden seeks Wessels’ advice on
retirement
Embattled Australian opener
Matthew Hayden has sought former
South African captain Kepler Wessels’
advice on when to end his cricket
career amid the ever increasing ICC rules out sanctions against BCCI for not touring Pakistan
scrutiny of his place in the side. The
37-year-old big-hitting left-hander

B
developed a close rapport with CCI only went by the in- highly respected and he decided spite the recent terror attacks in
Wessels during his stint with Chennai struction it received from it was safe and secure for the Mumbai. Morgan, however,
Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. “He played the Indian government team. I am delighted that they re- begged to differ and felt situa-
under me at the Chennai Super Kings and we spent a and there is no question of turned, lot of credit goes to Pie- tions in both the countries could
lot of time together. We had some good chats,” said sanctioning the cricket board for tersen and ECB. It would have not be equated.
Wessels, who coached the IPL finalists, was quoted as scrapping the tour of Pakistan, been wrong to give terrorism a
saying by The Sunday Telegraph. International Cricket Council victory,” he said. No double standards
“We talked about his future. When you get to the (ICC) president David Morgan Continuing the series, howev- “Pakistan is a different country.
stage of his career, you always end up talking about said on Sunday. er, could not amuse the likes of Quite clearly, the security experts
what’s happening and what you’re thinking because Morgan lamented the lack of Imran Khan who accused India of said India is safe and secure (for
I’ve been through it,” he added. Wessels said Hayden, international cricket in Pakistan double standard by shunning Pa- England) to return but that is not
struggling for form this season, was going through an but cited ICC regulations which kistan on security grounds and the case with Pakistan,” the En-
uncertain phase but seemed eager to continue as long rule out sanction in such cases. continuing with the ongoing glishman said. “Security assess-
as his fitness allowed. “The impression I got was that he “No doubt Pakistan suffers from home series against England de- ment was carried out by cricket
was still pretty keen, he still wanted to play. He wasn’t lack of international cricket on boards from West Indies, En-
entirely sure how long he wanted to go, but he felt the home soil. But I understand it gland, Australia and New Zealand
end of the Ashes was his goal,” he revealed. was Indian governments decision and all advised it was not appro-
PTI that the cricket team should not priate to tour Pakistan for the
tour Pakistan. As per ICC rules, event. So that was again an ac-
this is acceptable non-compli- ceptable non-compliance,” he
ance and ICC would have no explained.
sanction against BCCI,” Morgan Morgan, however, ex-
Jeev eyes Major title said. pressed hope that cancella-
New Asian number one Jeev Milkha Singh believes he tion of India’s Pakistan tour
can now win a Major title that will enable him to “sit All credit to England would not have any adverse
at the same table with my father”. The Indian star Hailing England’s decision to effect on the 2011 World Cup,
wrapped up his campaign at the season-ending Volvo return to India to continue with which they host, along with
Masters of Asia on Sunday when he was officially the series, Morgan, a former En- Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
crowned the 2008 Asian Tour’s Order of Merit gland and Wales Cricket Board “There has to be some concern
champion, and said his next goal was one of the four chief said credit should go to about the next World Cup which
most prized trophies in world golf. the ECB and England these four countries host. But we
“This has been the best year so far in my career,” he captain Kevin are confident that among them,
said after shooting rounds of 76, 70, 70 and 72 to finish Pietersen. “I we would have a good World
in the middle of the field at Thai Country Club. think it was a Cup. We have learns a lesson
The 37-year-old made history by becoming the first vital deci- from the last World Cup
player to win over a million dollars in a single season sion. (ECB and I am sure the sub-
on the Asian Tour, thanks largely to his triumph over a security continent would host a
world-class field at the Barclays Singapore Open last adviser) great World Cup,” he
month. He also finished tied 25th at the US Masters Reg Dick- said. ■
and posted a career-first top-10 in a Major by finishing ason is PTI
equal ninth at the US PGA Championship. “I think I’ve
got the game to win a Major. I feel it all depends on
the mindset that week and how you deal with the
pressure. A lot of it comes down to the short game.
Hopefully before my golfing career is over, I will have a
Major under my belt,” said Singh. The son of Milkha
Singh, who is a decorated Olympic runner for India,
Singh said that despite his golfing achievements over
the past three seasons, he still feels he has yet to
measure up to his father’s iconic status.
AFP

PHOTO: AFP
 Monday, December 22, 2008
09

‘‘
We are concerned about the impact of the crisis on clubs. The economic situation
is getting worse by the day, and it is hitting those at the bottom end the most.
Certain leagues are losing their sponsors, then their TV rights. We need to show solidarity
in these troubled times.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter

No fairytale comeback Valuev sees off Holyfield despite

unimpressive display

Russia’s Nikolai Valuev (right) fights

against US Evander Holyfield for the
WBA heavyweight title at Hallenstadion
in Zurich. PHOTO: AFP

R
ussia’s Nikolai Valuev successfully
defended his WBA title here with a
majority decision win over former
world champion Evander Holy-
field over 12 rounds. Despite a brave dis-
play from 46-year-old Holyfield, who was
bidding for his fifth world crown, the
judges scored it 114-114, 116-112, 115-
114 in Valuev’s favour on Saturday as the
giant Russian successfully defended the
vacated title he won against John Ruiz in
August.
“He was a strong opponent and he
made me work very hard for the win,”
said Valuev after his victory. But it was
not an impressive display from Valuev
with both Klitschko brothers Vladimir
and Witali, who between them hold four
world titles, eager to fight him to add the
WBA title to their collection. Holyfield,
who beat the likes of Riddick Bowe, Mike
Tyson, George Foreman and James “Bus-
ter” Douglas in the 1990s, now has a rec-
ord of ten defeats, 42 wins with 27
knock-outs and two draws from his 54
fights.
Disappointed
“Of course I am disappointed,” said
Holyfield. “I thought I had done enough,
now I will just have to go home and think
about my future. I am honoured to have
had the opportunity to fight for the title.
It was a good fight, his hands aren’t as
slow as people think. I was trying to do
the things my corner asked me to do by
moving him around, when I did I was
able to catch him off guard. He had a
pretty good defence by the way he posi-
tioned his body, he is a hard target to hit.”
He might have been a long way from At-
lanta, but Holyfield could have been
fighting in front of a home crowd so loud
were the chants of “Holyfield, Holyfield!”
ringing around Zurich’s Hallenstadion
from the sellout 12,500 crowd.
Good start
Holyfield came out all guns blazing
and landed a strong right-hand to the
face in the first round, later catching the
champion flush in the face three times in
the second round. Despite being 11 years
older, 43kg lighter and nearly 30cm shor-
ter than Valuev, 35, the heaviest and tal-
lest champion in history, Holyfield used
his experience to good effect. He stayed
ahead of the champ by never allowing
himself within Valuev’s reach for long.
The deeply religious Holyfield caught
Valuev with two jabs in the fourth and
unleashed a fierce combination early in
the fifth. By the sixth round, Holyfield
was showing signs of tiring after his fran-
tic start and the champion caught him
with several shots. Despite his limited
statics of throwing punches from the
middle of the ring, Valuev got involved in
heavy exchanges in the seventh and eight
rounds, while Holyfield stumbled in the
ninth on a wet spot on the canvas. It was
the signal for Valuev to go in for the kill
with a quick flurry of punches, but Holy-
field stood his ground and hit back hard,
the challenger finished the round stron-
ger. A big right early in the tenth round
from Holyfield was neutralised on the
judge’s scorecard when Valuev forced
the challenger into the corner, landing
several shots. But at the end of the elev-
enth there was very little between the
fighters and in the twelfth the crowd
were firmly behind the United States
fighter as cries of support again echoed
around the arena. In the end, Holyfield’s
dream of becoming the oldest man in
history to win a world title was gone. ■
AFP
10 FLICK ERGO Monday, December 22, 2008

PETA’s ‘Person of the Year’

Oprah Winfrey has been named as the ‘2008 Person of
the Year’ by animal-rights group People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA).
According to PETA, the philanthropist uses her fame and
listening audience to help the less fortunate, including
animals.

The Rustic Romeo

Accolades have started pouring Srikanth’s way after his realistic portrayal of Thangarasu
in director Sasi’s ‘Poo’. The young actor is finally heaving a sigh of relief that the
attention has turned from his tumultuous personal life to professional life. He was in
a relaxed mood as V.Lokpria caught up with him at his Harrington Road home

How difficult was it to change from an
urban image to rural?
Honestly, I was not interested in the script
when I listened to it the first time. It was director
Sasi who pushed me into doing this film. I was
surprised that I was chosen for the character
since I had an urban image. I wanted to have a
change in the roles I played and the character of
Thangarasu was challenging. Moreover, the
tradition of adapting stories from novels is
lost and I wanted to encourage that trend.
Tell us about the efforts that went
into playing Thangarasu in Poo
The role of Thangarasu was a chal-
lenging one. I had to change my look
from the metro to rural. I had to
blend with the nativity of Rajapa-
layam. The consoling factor was Sasi
didn’t want me to learn the local lan-
guage as he felt the character was
caught amidst his dreams and love.
I had to workout to get the village
macho guy look.
Poo is a heroine-oriented
subject. How much scope for
acting did it leave you?
I had 22 scenes in the film and Par-
vathy, the heroine, had 72.When I
signed up for the film I knew I didn’t
have a major role to play but I went
ahead with it. I wanted to encourage the
script because it had a whole bunch of
newcomers. I liked the characterisation
of Thangarasu. I had to underplay that
role. And the role was not clichéd; it was
different and gave me scope as an actor
to experiment with my looks and acting.
Which part of the film was
challenging to enact?
The climax of the film was challenging. It
was a mid-frame and it’s my eye that does all
the acting. I had to show a variation of emo-
tions in my sight. I had to capture an eye-lock
in a shot frame. It was difficult to do many
things at the same time.
Do you think you are underrated as an
actor?
In cinema, all that matters is success. Here,
success is a different league altogether. You are
either on top or at the bottom. The problem
PHOTO: S.S. KUMAR
Tell us about your stint in Telugu
films.
I lived in Hyderabad for 10 years, so I
am familiar with the language. My films
that were dubbed and released in Andhra
Pradesh did well. I also did a guest perfor-
mance in a Telugu film that was received
well by the audience. So when I got an
offer I wanted to give it a shot. Police Po-
lice was my first film. It ran for 100 days. It
was a cop subject and gave me a good
start. But my concentration is on Tamil
films.
A lot has been said and written
about your personal life rather than
your professional life. Does it bother
you?
Initially, it did but I got used to it. You
take the decision to be close with the
media, so I blame myself for it. When one
enters cinema, it’s natural to draw atten-
tion of this kind and it’s best to ignore it.
In course of time I realised the more peo-
ple write about you, the more popular you
are. These are professional hazards. Noth-
ing can be done about it. It’s best to con-
centrate on one’s work rather than paying
heed to fretting issues.
What are your future projects?
I have a lot of films lined up for release
in 2009. There is a multi-cast film with
actor Jeeva called Throgi; Indira Vizha,
Rasikum Seemane, a commercial enter-
tainer; Manavar Thinama, a project that I
am looking forward to; and Nanchil Aiyn-
tham Thisai, an action flick.
What is the best compliment you
have received for Poo?
Suhasini madam appreciated me for
my work in Poo. I was completely taken
aback when she gave me the title ‘Cham-
pion of the Week’ on her show Hasini Pe-
sum Padam. Her accolades boosted my
confidence.
When is Sathurangam releasing?
It’s a sad story. There is a problem on
the production side. I helped the produc-
ers by assisting them financially but it
didn’t work. It’s a thriller and if it had
come out on the right time it would have

arises only when you are in the middle. The suc-
cess of an actor also depends upon the director
who moulds him. An actor grows with the direc-
tor. In my case I have worked with Fazil Sir, but
that film did not do any magic to my career. All I
can say is that my timing has not been proper
and I am still waiting for my turn.
been a turning point in my film career.
Rate yourself as an actor on a scale
of 1 to 10.
I would rate myself between 5 and 6.
There is still a lot to learn and improvise
upon. ■
Monday, December 22, 2008
11
U2’s new album in March
U2 will be releasing their new album, No Line
On The Horizon, in early March 2009, it has
been announced. It would be the group’s 12th
studio album, and also their first since 2004’s
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.

John
bares all in New York
Cine City

A
fter he stripped down to the barest
minimum on the beach in Dostana,
John Abraham now has reportedly
bared all for a torture scene in his
next film, New York.
In the tale of friendship and terrorism
by director Kabir Khan, John has done a
complete nude shot for a prison scene.
John would be the third Bollywood ac-
tor in recent times to drop all his inhib-
itions. Earlier, Kunal Kapoor in Rang De
Basanti and Ranbir Kapoor in Saawariya
did bare-back scenes that were deleted
Kandasamy for May release
If Internet buzz is to be believed, the much-awaited
when the films opened.
Vikram-starrer Kandasamy would hit the screens on
But John’s nude scene is set to re-
May 1, 2009, incidentally the birthday of actor Ajith.
main in New York, which is slated for
Directed by Susi Ganesan and produced by Kalaipuli
a January release.
S. Thanu, Kandasamy is a big-budget movie. Said to
Said a source close to the project:
be shot extensively in various countries across the
“It’s a prison sequence in the US
globe, the movie features Shriya Saran as the female
where John, suspected to be a ter-
lead. Vikram has pinned all his hopes on this movie
rorist, is denuded of all dignity.
as his last release Bheema could only manage a
This is how they break your spirit
lukewarm response at the box-office.
in an American prison when they
want you to confess to being a ter-
rorist. They make you eat, sleep,
urinate and defecate in the same
room. Then they begin to strip your
dignity down ... until you are left in
the cold, dingy cell completely
naked. John had to enact this
sequence.”
When briefed about the sequence,
John apparently didn’t hesitate for a
second.
“He immediately agreed to do the
scene and was quite traumatised at
the end of it,” the source added.
While John refused to comment on
the scene, director Kabir Khan smiled
and said: “You’ll just have to see the
film to know the nature of the scene.”
■
IANS

He immediately agreed Superstar’s favourite

to do the scene and During a recent function in Chennai, actor
was quite traumatised Rajinikanth disclosed who his all-time favourite
heroine is – actress Saroja Devi. Ruing that he
at the end of it missed acting with the actress, Superstar said he did
not enter filmdom during her heydays to play her
hero. Rajinikanth also jocularly remarked that the
doyens of Tamil cinema – M.G. Ramachandran and
Sivaji Ganesan – would have posed stiff competition
to him if he was ever considered for a role with
Saroja Devi.
12 ERGO Monday, December 22, 2008

■ I’ll be ready 2 choose that guys partner

Friday’s Query:
Feby Jose
What would be your first Optimus

reaction if you see your ■ I’ll feel bad. But if she is happy and
thinks that she is right then I’ll let her be
partner with somebody happy.
Subhransu, Hexaware
else and why?
■ I’ll be really happy to see my partner ■ I’ll take 2 girls in front of her and make
going wit someone else, because the her angry.
other person will become beggar very Javid,
soon Cognizant
Arun.N,
Sutherland ■ Veetuku Vantha Piragu Veedu Katti
Adipen
■ I’ll feel really lucky and thank god for Menaka,
this. I’ll ask same boon for every girl friend Tata Consultancy Services
I have.
Uday, ■ Of course, I would feel possessive but I
Sutherland won’t show it out in front of that girl. Haria from Tata Consultancy Services has nominated TCS
Once my hubby gets back home, I would Finance Team as Partners in Crime.
■ I will ask about that matter calmly who inquire him of who she is.
is this, why you come with him to hotels Ridhuna,
and then I will shout at her. Wipro
Arun,
Sify ■ I will thank my partner’s new partner.
Build a temple for him and pray.
■ Give her a big hug! Only she can Natarajan,
understand my feelings. RR Donnelley
Arun Prasad,
Sutherland ■ When he comes alone I’ll dip him in hot
and sour soup and toast in toaster
■ I won’t go in front of them because I’m Mittu,
dam sure, that guy should be her father or Wipro Technologies
uncle.
Arun.M, ■ I would go and thank the person with
Sutherland whom my partner was with.
Karthikeyan.R, Infosys
■ Oh god I’ll be happy as I can try for
better option. ■ I will think that god finally listened my
Arun CGSL, words.
Srinath Perot Systems, Krishna, HCL,
Sudhan, Wipro Senthilkumar, Sandeep Jan from Tata Consultancy Services has nominated
Perot Systems his friends as Partners in Crime. This photo was taken at
■ I’ll be angry with her towards extreme Hotel Residency Towers.
level. But later I’ll fall in her feet because ■ I will go and join with them just to give
whatever it might be she is mine no. them company.
Satish, Sridhar,
Ramco Systems Tata Consultancy Services

■ I will scold him and tell "Unaku vera ■ I’m happy that he found a best and
nalla allae kidaikaliya." good one than me
Ramachandran M CGSL, Archana,
Senthilkumar, Perot Systems Wipro Technologies

■ I will wait outside with broom stick

when he/she return to home.
Today’s Query:
Ramya, John,
Perot Systems Given a chance to
■ Is same as what his’ is, because I would change your profession,
be wit someone else too
Annapoorani M, TCS which other career
■ I’ll be cool. I won’t ask anything. And I would you choose? Why?
won’t doubt. By Ananthasubramanian
Geetha, Seethalaxmi, Saravanan, Saranya, Sify Technologies Limited.
S.Sriram Perot Systems, You can nominate Ergo Mobile Query too. Just Maris Prabhakaran from Aspire Systems has nominated his
Asath Kani M, TCS, send us an email to feedback@goergo.in with friends as Partners in Crime. This photo was taken at a
Magesh, HCL Subject Line: "Mobile Query Suggestion". Resort.
 Monday, December 22, 2008
Balaguru from HCL Technologies Ltd ■ Dear Saravanan,
has been nominated as Office Angel by Belated Birthday Wishes to
his colleague Jothiraj. you...Enjoy your birthday today
He is the man who can impress any one and don’t worry too much about
with his peculiar character. He never hurts work!
anybody but if it happens, he never feels Don’t forget to treat us all...
shy to ask sorry. He likes to help others With love,
and is not biased towards anyone. For me Shanny, Deepa, Swami,
he is an example for how a professional as Pradeep, Yamini,
well as human being should be. Vinodini and
FTM DEV Team
Wipro Technologies
■ Dear Sridhar,
Wishing you another wonderful
year of happiness and joy.
Hope your special day,brings you
all that your heart desires!
Here’s wishing You a day full of
pleasant surprises!
Happy Birthday & many more to
come.
With Warm Wishes,
Indra.S
HCL Technologies Ltd,
Navalur
Vasanthi Raja of Citigroup ■ Hi Vasumathi and Vinod,
Global Services Ltd (CGSL) We wish you both a very Happy
doodled this. Birthday.
Best wishes from,
Base Aviation Team,
Ramco Systems
■ Arun,
Wish you a Very Happy Brithday.
Its a special time to celebrate and
we hope all your birthday dreams
comes
true. Have a colourful day.
Wishes from,
Padma, Meera and Francis
Tata Consultancy Service
■ Hi Yaso(Kutti Pisasu),
Wishing u many many more happy
returns of the day...May all your
dreams come true this year...
Happy Birthday Kutti Sathan...
Wishes from,
Postman post koduppar Watchman watch koduppara.? Angels and beloved friends,
Goal keeper goal post kku munnadi nippar. Wicket keeper wicket kku mun- HCL-CODC
nadi nikka mudiyuma...?
koli kku paravai kaichal varum. paravai kku koli kaichal varuma...? ■ Mokkai queen R.A. Suganthi
Sivanandam, Shree ku oru mokkai dedication:
Wipro. Birthday kondadaradhu namma
Question : If a cow gets affected in a earthquake,what will it give instead of Suganthi
milk ? Answer : MILK SHAKE ;-) cake la vaipaanga chinna
Jubair, melugupathi
Cognizant Adha oodhum podhu pakkanum
Fan-ukkum rekkai irukku. Paravai-kkum rekkai irukku. vaaya pothi
Fan-ala parakka mudiyaathu. Paravai-ala sutha mudiyaathu. Aaanaa... illana naama aagiduvom adho
Fan-a amukina suthum. Paravai-a amukina kathum... :)) gathi!
Rajee Anand, ippadiku un mokkai al badhika
Coastal Training Technologies patta,
Person1: oru erumba "cut" panna enna Aagum... Un Anbu Thozhigal!
Person2: "cuterumbu" aayidum.... Wipro
MAN 1: "Ponnuku enna vaiasu aavarudhu " ? ■ Hi Raja (Dharani Raja),
MAN 2:"Aadi vandha... 16 mudiyum " May this be a day when dreams
MAN 1:"Appo Aaadama vandha ???? " are married to reality and hopes
Mrs.Manonmani Kesav, for good times are born.
HCL
13
Your are wished everything your
heart desires the Most.
Two tips on your birthday:
1) Forget the past, you can’t
change it.
2) Forget the present, We didn’t
get you one.
From,
Shanthi, Jagadeesh,
Kavitha, Senthil,
Balaji, & Anusha
Sify Technologies Limited
■ Dear Lakshmi
Happy Birthday Lakshmi...
LDS, The Tallest Girl In Our
Team!!"
ETRM Integration Team
Chemoil-ODC
Calsoft
■ Dear Sandhiya (Malayala kutti)
We wish you happy Birth day May
this birthday brings you lots of
Courage, successes and happiness..
We wish you once again happy
Birthday
Regards
Manimozhikarthik, S
udhabalan, Rajeswari,
Sunitha, Nagarajan,
Sify Technologies,
Parameshwari, Maria,
Saravanan,
TataCconsultamncy Services,
Muskan, R.B.S
■ Dear Lokesh (ust global),
Many More Happy Returns Of The
Day... Wishing U All Happiness In
Life
Have A "Wonder-Filled" Day
Yours
everlasting friend,
Koushy Priya
Wipro
■ Dear Raja Vignesh
(Global Analytics),
Many More happy returns of the
day. May god shower you with
happiness and success. Have a
blast Happy Birthday.
Hearty Wishes,
Venkat,
Tata Consultancy Services
■ Dear Arunkumar Babu,
Your Birthday is a special day..
One that’s just for you
A time for doing everything
You specially like to do..
And on this day that belongs to
you,
The wish this greeting brings
Is for the joy you so deserve
And all life’s nicest things!
~ Happy Birthday ~
Happy Birthday to you
My dear Friend,
Kumaran Systems.
14 TRAFFIC JAM ERGO Monday, December 22, 2008

Monkey business
Three angry monkeys beat their trainer
senseless with his own stick after he
had cruelly punished one of them.

sudoku

S. Thiyagarajan
of AdventNet
Inc. clicked this
picture at his
home during
the recent
Kaarthigai
festival.
Hobbies:
Reading and
photography

KAKURO
So you think you would make a terrific photographer but never really had the
platform? Mail us your best work and we’ll publish it in this space, with credit.
E-mail: clickpick@goergo.in

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(Editor responsible for selection of news under
the PRB Act). RNI No. TNENG/2007/24553
 Monday, December 22, 2008
Bird rescue
Animal welfare officials in Berlin
have rescued 1,500 parakeet
birds from a tiny two room
apartment.
15
Word’s worth
"Varve" (varv) a pair of thin layers of clay and silt of contrasting color and
texture that represent the deposit of a single year (summer and winter) in
a lake at some time in the past, usually in a lake formed by a retreating
ice sheet. The word comes from a Swedish word meaning ’layer.’

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

On the professional front, you will get good output
if you try your hand at software developing.
Ganesha feels that there may be a lot of logical
discussions you may get into, however they may not
yield good results but will give you a good learning.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

Your communication skills will do wonders for you
today. Not only will your work get done quickly, but
you will also be successful in meetings at work. You
may feel like relaxing with your beloved over a
quiet dinner table. Love life will be blissful.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

Your energy will be so high today that you will be
BORN LOSER seen brimming with joy. On the personal front, your
beloved will share the same intense feelings. On the
professional front, Ganesha suggests that you
should work more on R and D due to high energy.
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
Don’t waste time on insignificant things if you are
not comfortable. However, the good thing is that
your beloved will be supportive during your mood
swings. Frequent mood fluctuations may cause harm
to your health. Maintain cool temper.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
You may encounter some matters which may never
get solved. Ganesha feels you just need to be
persistent. At office, you might try to show off your
negotiation skills. These tactics may also follow up
to your personal life.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
Ganesha feels that today you will be concentrating
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT only on work and nothing else. Matters related to
career and progress will be of prime importance.
Pay proper attention to love life as well or you may
have to face conflicts.
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
This is a good day to ask for a salary rise. If you
are satisfied with your salary, you will feel a strong
sense of job security and may get a quick level shift
in the organisation. You may feel like taking your
beloved out for dinner.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
Sadly, the day is not in favour for you. You may
face unnecessary delays for particular results or
projects. However, things are going great on the
romantic front. Ganesha feels lovers might indulge
in activities that make your bonding stronger.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
Ganesha foresees a very busy day at work today.
However, you may feel lazy to take up too much
work. On the personal front, you will remain
submissive and flexible. The best thing is that your
beloved will adore you for that.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
You will face a cut-throat competition at work
today. Keep a keen watch on things happening
around you. Ganesha further states that being alert
will also help you in your personal relations as there
is a possibility for conflicts and differences.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS You may experience extreme and frequent mood
swings today. If you have to indulge in multi-
ISSUE’S tasking, try to distribute it, if possible. Ganesha
assures that this tough day will end on a positive
SOLUTIONS note. You will have a gala time with your beloved.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
In spite of domestic affairs bothering you, you may
not let your work suffer due to this. In official
meetings, you might have to agree to the view
points of other people. On the personal front, you
may arrange a small outing.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
16 ! ERGO Monday, December 22, 2008