Why should I remain a bachelor: Salman Khan

With Salman Khan, you never know what mood you’ll get. But on Sunday afternoon at Mehboob Studio, he’s jovial. His next film, Ek Tha Tiger, releasing on August 15, is already the subject of much speculation, with trade pundits wondering if it will create a Rs. 200 crore club. Whether it does or does not, his fans are eager to watch their superhero on the big screen again. Between shots of Dabangg 2, the star answers HT Café’s questions.
Today, you’re more successful than ever. Are you working twice as hard, or has this happened by chance?
In the past, I had a knee-jerk approach to work and it showed on screen. I was doing movies for the wrong reasons — trying to juggle dates, do too many guest appearances, take up projects under pressure or for emotional reasons. But now there’s a method to my madness. I have heard people say, “Salman has changed, he’s lost it,” and stuff like that. But it doesn’t affect me. Today, I am doing movies only for my fans and I am enjoying every bit of it. They are happy and so am I.

source-ht

First ODI: Kohli's century counts; Sangakkara's goes in vain

India survived some jittery moments in the fag end before snatching a thrilling 21-run win over Sri Lanka in the first cricket One-dayer of the five-match series, in Hambantota today. Virat Kohli cracked a superb 106 and Virender Sehwag scored 96 runs as their 173-run stand
the second wicket laid the foundation for India's imposing 314 for six after electing to bat.
Diminutive left-hander Suresh Raina (50 off 45) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (35 off 29) added valuable runs towards the end to take the side past 300-run mark.
India then restricted the hosts to 293 for nine to take a 1-0 lead in the series, which it needs to win by a 5-0 margin to reclaim the number one position in ODIs.
The hosts' resistance was built around Sangakkara's fighting 133 but he fell short of partners from the other end until he was joined by Thisara Perera, who scored a quick-fire 44 off just 28 balls.
Sangakkara's knock, his 14th ODI hundred and fifth against India, came off 151 balls and included 12 boundaries.
Sangakkara and Perera rattled up a 78-run stand for the seventh wicket, giving some anxious moments to India but their effort only reduced the defeat margin.
Sri Lanka's fight ended when Sangakkara was bowled by Umesh Yadav in 48th over and Perera was dismissed by Irfan Pathan in the penultimate over.
Pathan (2/37), R Ashwin (2/46) and Yadav (2/76) took two wickets each for India.
Kohli carried his good form of the last season into the match as he scored his fourth hundred in his last five innings. The 23-year-old Kohli blasted nine boundaries in his 113-ball innings.
Sehwag, who was given reprieve by Tillakaratne Dilshan in the second over, had 10 boundaries in his 97-ball innings.
Both the teams will now travel to Colombo for the second match, scheduled for Tuesday.

source-ht

Game on! Pakistan to tour India for 3 ODIs in December

The BCCI has confirmed that the cricketing ties between India and Pakistan will resume and Pakistan will tour India for three one-dayers in December. The cricketing ties between the two countries had snapped after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The ODIs will be played towards the end of the month, likely during the gap between England ODIs and Tests.
The two countries have played against each other in the 2011 World Cup and Asia Cup recently, but bilateral series have been suspended for almost five years: the last being in India in 2007.
India pulled out of the 2009 cricket tour of Pakistan in the wake of the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. They were due to arrive in Pakistan in January 2009 for three Tests, five one-day games and a Twenty20 international.
Pakistan cricket has faced several crisis in the last year and a tour of India may boost the confidence of the game's managers in the country. No international team has played in Pakistan since the March 2009 attack in Lahore, which left eight people dead and several visiting players wounded, and the national team has had to play its "home" matches abroad, mostly in the United Arab Emirates.
A spot-fixing scandal, which ended with three Pakistan cricketers sent to a British prison last November, engulfed the team's Test series in mid 2010.

source-ht

Sequel to Singh is Kinng

He is the man behind films such as Singh is Kinng, Namastey London, Waqt: The Race Against Time and Action Replayy. And now filmmaker Vipul Amrutlal Shah is keen on making a sequel of his 2008 hit film Singh is Kinng that starred Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. “It’s pre mature to say much about the sequel but yes, I am working on the script,” confirms Shah. So is Akshay going to repeat his Happy Singh act again? “I will approach Akshay as I don’t think there can be a Singh is Kinng without Akshay,” says Shah, who is also working on the sequel to John Abraham and Genelia D’souza starrer Force. The filmmaker is also excited about his return to TV after a gap of almost a decade with his production Bhai, Bhaiya Aur Brother on SAB TV. “Our show will hopefully spread a positive message about the joint family culture, and will inspire families to cultivate a joint family system. It will talk about Indian values in a light-hearted manner,” says Shah about the show that revolves around three brothers. “Television is becoming bigger and bigger.It is more challenging than films because TV is more immediate. Also, I believe it is the increasing popularity of TV that’s drawing even people from the silver screen to the small screen,” adds Shah. Source- HT

IPL 2012: Luke Pomersbach gets interim bail

Australian cricketer Luke Pomersbach, arrested on charges of molesting an American woman in a hotel on Thursday night, was on Friday granted interim bail for a day by a Delhi court. There was drama during the 30-minute proceedings, when the 27-year-old batsman, playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore, in the IPL, complained of uneasiness and fainted while the victim broke down when she narrated the incident. Policemen took him outside the court room and gave him water after which he regained composure to come back to the court room made stuffy by the crowd of lawyers, journalists and onlookers. Pomersbach, who has had a history of brawls and brush with police in his country, and accused of outraging the modesty of a woman here last night after a post-match party, was granted relief by Metropolitan Magistrate Navita Kumari Bagha till Saturday. The Magistrate directed the Delhi Police to bring the CCTV footage from the hotel tomorrow along with the medical records showing the nature of injury caused to the woman's fiance Sahil, who is admitted in ICU in a private hospital here after being allegedly beaten by Pomersbach. "The accused is granted interim bail till tomorrow," the magistrate said. "Bring the CCTV footage of the hotel and the doctors opinion about the nature of the injuries sustained by him (the woman's fiancee Sahil)," the court said. During the hearing, the court asked the Delhi police as to why they had not secured the CCTV footage of the hotel. Delhi Police had sought that the court should sent the cricketer into judicial custody. The woman narrated the sequence of the event saying that she was with her fiance and Pomersbach forcibly entered their room in the hotel to have drinks and molested her. "Sahil only told him 'please leave the room' and he (Pomersbach) turned and started assaulting him and punched him (Sahil) several times on his face," she said. Delhi Police submitted that Pomersbach misbehaved with the woman and assaulted Sahil, who received injury. The woman told the court that despite being beaten severely the case has been registered under section 323 of the IPC for simple hurt. "The injuries are grievous and the police have charged him just under Section 323 of the IPC.. Sahil was beaten so badly that he is in the ICU," the woman told the court. Advocate Neeraj Chaudhary, who appeared for Pomersbach, vehemently opposed the police version and said that Sahil has not not been admitted to the ICU and Pomersbach was instead beaten up by him. "Pomersbach was beaten up by Sahil in the room. There was no previous rivalry between them. They (Sahil and the woman) had invited Pomersbach to their room," the counsel said adding that his client was not carrying any arms with him

source: times of india
 

Hate Story will give erotic films new definition: director

Quite perturbed with the way erotic films are being handled these days, director Vivek Agnihotri says through his upcoming thriller Hate Story he wants to change the way sexuality is portrayed in India. The Paoli Dam starrer is creating a lot of buzz for its steamy scenes and Agnihotri related stories Bollywood Release: Paoli Dam's Hate Story I’ve no inhibitions as an actor: Paoli Dam 'Hate Story is India's Basic Instinct' feels that the movie should not be mistaken for a typical masala film. "Erotica are very fine art. In this country, nobody treats it as a genre. We make it as a masala film by incorporating semi nude models dancing behind the actor. In this way it becomes titillation. "I took it as a challenge when Vikram Bhatt (producer) asked me to direct it. Though it's a very difficult genre primarily, I tried to introduce this in the mainstream with due dignity and originality. We decided to call it as an erotic thriller only because we don't want to mislead our audience," Agnihotri told PTI. The filmmaker, who started his career four years ago with multi-starrer thriller Chocolate and has made only three movies so far, said he is not in the rat race to make films every year. "I am not that kind of a director who makes two films per year. I was busy in making a film called Buddha in a traffic jam and it consumed two and half years. The film stars Arunoday Singh and Mahie Gill in the lead roles. As soon as I finished it, Vikram called me for Hate Story," he said. Source- Hindustan Times

Emraan Hashmi: Serial kisser to crowd puller

Shooting outdoors in an uncontrolled environment can be tricky. But actor Emraan Hashmi and the unit of Jannat 2 had a trick up their sleeve when they were filming in heavily populated areas of the capital such as Chandni Chowk. On the first day, Emraan posed with fans and signed autographs, related stories Emraan-Esha get intimate in Jannat 2 Emraan Hashmi hungry for films Emraan Hashmi back with Jannat 2 Emraan Hashmi can’t get dates right keeping them happy. The crowd, however, very quickly managed to learn that ‘cut’ meant they could approach the star and ‘pack up’ was their cue to descend upon the start. Managing the mob became a tough task and escorting the actor to his van, parked a kilometre away, was a nightmare for the security guards. Ask Emraan about his crowd-controlling ploy and he says, “It was very difficult to navigate through the crowd. So from day two, we decided that after our work was done, I would leave and five minutes later they would announce pack up on the mike for the rest of the unit and no one from the crowd would be wiser.” The trick apart, Emraan praises the locals who were helpful through the shooting. “Security, not just for me, but the crew, the equipment and the works was quite an issue, especially while shooting a film like Jannat 2 in the bylanes of Chandni Chowk and Purani Delhi,” says the actor, adding that 10-15 guards were no match for the thousands who gathered around. “The place is always packed with people and we wouldn’t have managed to shoot without some help from the  locals. They would listen when asked to be quiet for a shot.” Has the size of the crowd increased post his recent successes, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai (2010) and The Dirty Picture (2011)?0 “Yes, the crowd has escalated. All actors love mobs and so do I. The more the people, the bigger the crowd, the better I feel, and the better it is for my ego,” says Emraan. Source-Hindustan Times

Kings XI Punjab introduce two new players to squad

IPL team Kings XI Punjab today announced Kyle Abbott and Benjamin Cutting as replacements for the injured bowling duo of R Satish and Stuart Broad. "It is rather unfortunate that two of our players Stuart Broad and R Satish have been ruled out of IPL 2012 due to unfortunate and untimely injuries," said Col. Arvinder Singh, COO, Kings XI Punjab. "We hope that they both recover soon and we can see them in action again very soon. We welcome Benjamin Cutting from Australia and Kyle Abbott from South Africa in to our squad for this season." Abbott is a medium-pacer from South Africa, while Benjamin Cutting is a right-arm medium-pacer from Australia who led the 2009-10 Sheffield Shield wicket list with 46 scalps at an average of 23.91. "I am excited about Kyle and Ben being a part of our squad. Both these seamers are young and talented and have the right spirit to lead the team to great heights. I am very confident about the team’s performance and looking forward to a great tournament ahead," said Joseph Henry Dawes, Bowling Coach, Kings XI Punjab. Source-Hindustan Times

Sajid Khan hits hattrick with Housefull 2

Director Sajid Khan hits hattrick with Housefull 2: The Dirty Dozen, which has grossed Rs. 72 crore worldwide and become the second biggest opening of the year after Agneepath, which earned Rs.75 crore. Released Friday, the film, co-produced by Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment Housefull 2 is second best opener of 2012 Housefull 3 is on the cards: Sajid Nadiadwala Housefull 2 goes to Singapore 57 crore in India and Rs.15 crore overseas so far. "Despite releasing during the IPL cricket frenzy, Housefull 2 has opened well in theatres across India. With its strong weekend performance, we believe Housefull 2 has also lived up to its name like predecessor," Nandu Ahuja, senior vice president, India Theatrical, Eros International Media Ltd, said in a statement. Sajid Khan's last two directorial ventures - Heyy Babyy and Housefull - were huge hits. A sequel to 2010 release Housefull, the film's cast is called dirty dozen that comprises of Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Riteish Deshmukh, Shreyas Talpade, Asin Thottumkal, Jacqueline Fernandez, Zarine Khan and Shahzan Padamsee. It also features veteran actors Mithun Chakraborty, Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Boman Irani. Source- Hindustan Times

Salman Khan not doing Sher Khan for now

Salman Khan will turn Santa this Christmas with Dabangg 2. The schedule of the sequel to the 2010 film flagged off on March 9 and is being shot on a huge set that recreates Kanpur at Mumbai’s Kamal Amrohi Studio. “It’s going well,” says the superstar who recently shot a qawwali with Sonakshi Salman Khan snapped with fans Salman Khan's tribute to Sachin Tendulkar Sequel riot in B-Town Sinha for Arbaaz’s directorial debut. Next, he’ll flag off a film with brother Sohail, before starting work on Sajid Nadidawala’s Kick. “Sohail’s film is not Sher Khan. We will make that later. It’s ambitious and there’s too much of ‘tam jham’ (complications). This is a different script,” he says, refusing to divulge more details. “You have to see it.” He also intends to return to TV and Bigg Boss, but doesn’t know when the next season will go on air: “Soon, I hope. I like people watching me for free.” Meanwhile, he’s decided to take a break that could range from a week to a month, between projects. Also, he wants to devote more time to raising funds for his charity, Being Human. Last August, Salman was away in the US during Ganesh Chaturthi and Eid, undergoing surgery for Trigeminal Neuralgia, commonly known as the ‘Suicide Disease’. During an angiography, it was discovered that four-five nerves were wrapped around a vein and there was an aneurysm in the back of his head. This was causing him a lot of pain. “I can’t have ice or anything cold. I can’t eat… I can’t do anything,” he’d admitted. Bollywood actor Salman Khan Eight months later, he says the aneurysm has reduced, but is still there. The pain comes back too. “There’s not much we can do, but with advances in medical sciences, maybe elaaj ho jayega (I will be cured).” With cold, the pain escalates and for Kabir Khan’s thriller, Ek Tha Tiger, which is lining up for an Eid opening, Salman admits he has been shooting in some exotic, but cold, countries like Ireland, Cuba and Turkey. “Each place was colder than the last one,” he shivers. “Even in Cuba, it rained and then there was an earthquake but that was far away from us. But it’s going to look beautiful on screen.” Source- Hindustan Times

Mirza - The Untold Story 2012 - Review

Mirza a Untold story by Gippy Grewal relesed this friday with Punjabi banner. This is a higly realistic movie with lots of action by Gippy Grewal. Another side Mirza punjabi movie real love story 2012. great movie with lots of action. worth watching. Rahul Dev, Binnu Dhillon will also be seen on the screens of Mirza. Baljit Singh Deo make a gem of  a movie. Honey Singh rocks again with his music and also his acting now. movie is worth watching specially for youngsters. usp of the movie- akhiaan great song by rahat fateh ali khan.

Pollard, Munaf lead Mumbai to a royal triumph

As the Mumbai Indians' batsmen opted for a strategic break at the end of the 15th over, the disc jockey played the popular number from the Bollywood film 'Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar' - haari baazi ko jeetna humein ata hai (we know how to win from a losing position). The DJ may still be relieving the Mumbai Indians victory over Deccan Chargers in their last encounter 48 hours ago because on Wednesday, the Champions League winners were never under pressure and a defeat never looked a possible outcome against Rajasthan Royals. Having won both their previous games batting first, Royals' skipper Rahul Dravid sprang a surprise by opting to bowl first and the host batsmen batted the visitors out of the game. The hosts piled up 197 runs and Royals never looked primed for a chase despite the short boundaries at the Wankhede stadium. South African Richard Levi again gave the hosts the start they desired and Rohit Sharma played a cameo before Kieron Pollard came to the party for the first time this season. The West Indies all-rounder treated every bowler, except Brad Hogg, with disdain. He began with a golf like tee-shot over mid-on off compatriot Kevon Cooper  and then welcomed South African Johan Botha's spin with a 4, 6, 6, 4 with one of the sixes landing on the top tier of the MCA pavilion. By the time Pollard departed for a 33-ball 64 in the 17th over, Rajasthan were already staring at a target of around 200 runs. Source-Hindustan Times

Dhoni returns to where it all started

History will list the YSR Reddy ACA-VDCA stadium here as the venue where exactly seven years ago India got a good first look at Mahendra Singh Dhoni when he tore Pakistan's pace attack to shreds with a 148-run blitzkrieg. That was only Dhoni's fifth international innings, but such was its intensity that India knew the man from Ranchi could be the next big thing, as well as ending the search for a durable wicket-keeper batsman. Seven years and two world titles later, Dhoni, subdued by the thrashings at England and Australia, arrives at the venue that launched him to stardom. Stuttering start Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings haven't had a good start this time. But they will fancy a fresh beginning on Saturday against the Deccan Chargers, who are without regular skipper, Kumar Sangakkara, who is on national duty. In his absence, Cameron White is set to lead the team but DC sorely miss a big Indian name. Parthiv Patel and Amit Mishra are the two most recognisable Indian faces. With even fast bowler Ishant Sharma out of reckoning due to injury, the Chargers heavily depend on their imports though the presence of South Africa quick Dale Steyn will be of some assurance. And the Deccan boys can always draw inspiration that though Chennai has always been a formidable side to play against in the IPL, the Hyderabad team team is on equal footing when it comes match results - both have won four each in the previous seasons. Source- Hindustan Times

Want to be the man of a woman’s dreams?

Every woman’s perfect man eats meat, drives an Audi and phones his mother twice a week, a new poll has revealed. According to the list, the man must also drink lager or beer, not wine or spirits, and earns a comfortable £48,000 a year. The ideal male will also be 6ft tall, have short dark hair and smart dress sense - similar to that of U.S. X Factor host Steve Jones. Vegetarians were revealed to be a turn off, while being clean shaven and in possession of a smooth, hair-free chest were said to be a bonus. The findings surfaced in a poll of 2,000 women carried out by clothing brand Austin Reed. “It would seem that women have high expectations when it comes to the perfect man,” the Daily Mail quoted spokesman as saying. “How a man is presented is obviously going to be a huge part of that. “Whilst women don’t want a man to be too preened, they would like him to be stylish and up to date with current trends. “It also nice to see that women favour a smart appearance, as opposed to sportswear,” the spokesman said. The study also found the ideal man should also have a degree and hold down a decent job. A demanding 15 percent said they would insist on a suitor having at least a master’s degree or a PHD. But 70 percent of girls said they would prefer to date a man who earned more than them. The qualities of the perfect man are: Six feet tall Muscly, toned and athletic Brown eyes Short dark hair Smart dress sense A beer or lager drinker Non smoker Wears smart jeans, shirt and a V-neck jumper Gets ready in 17 minutes Stylish Wants a family Earns 48,000 pounds a year Loves shopping Eats meat Clean shaven Smooth chest Watches soaps Enjoys watching football Drives an Audi Educated to degree level Earns more than you Jokes around and has a laugh Sensitive when you are upset Tells you he loves you only when he means it Admits it when he looks at other women Holds a driving licence Can swim Can ride a bike Can change a tyre Rings mum regularly Source-Hindustan Times

IPL should be scared of Jannat 2: Emraan Hashmi

Jannat 2 Actor Emraan Hashmi, who is back with the sequel of Jannat releasing during the Indian Premier League (IPL) season, says they are not scared to release the film during the cricket tournament. Directed by Kunal Deshmukh, the film is a sequel to the 2008-hit film Jannat. The second Emraan Hashmi's Jannat 2 trailer out Emraan Hashmi denies Jannat 2 song leak report Emraan Hashmi back with Jannat 2 Emraan Hashmi gets reality check in Delhi instalment is up for release May 4. Even Jannat was released during the IPL season in 2008. "Last time, even Jannat was released during IPL and there was so much buzz about the tournament at that time. There was a match of Kolkata Knight Riders and we had gone to Kolkata to promote our film," Emraan told reporters at the music launch of Jannat 2 last evening. "That time, all the theatres were almost full... we had almost got 100% opening for Jannat. We are hoping it continues for Jannat 2 as well. We are not scared of IPL... but IPL should be scared of us," he said. Echoing similar sentiments, producer Mukesh Bhatt said, "When IPL came for the first time, we were not afraid to release our film, then why should we be afraid this time? We are sure that our film will captivate audience. Like Emraan said, IPL must be scared of us and not we. We will storm the theatres whatever be the match Jannat 2 will be a match-wining team." Jannat was based on betting in cricket, the sequel is about the illegal trading in arms and ammunition. Emraan plays the role of an arms dealer called Sonu Dili KKC. "This is the most entertaining character I have played till date. In 2008, I played Arjun Dixit in Jannat and that was by far my favourite character. The character is funnier, more entertaining and has got grey shades, but he is extremely endearing," Emraan said. Model Esha Gupta makes her debut in Bollywood with this film opposite Emraan. Source-Hindustan Times

Karisma Kapoor copies Angelina Jolie’s style

Actor Karisma Kapoor aka Lolo’s look in the first poster of her comeback film, Dangerous Ishq, bears a striking resemblance to Hollywood actor Angelina Jolie’s look at the Oscars this year. Kapoor shows of her leg in a thigh-high slit gown similar to Angie’s headline-hitting act on the Academy First look of Karisma Kapoor in Dangerous Ishq Karisma Kapoor at the launch of a kids brand New stills: Karimsa in Dangerous Ishq Awards red carpet. However, some say her look is inspired by actor Sarah Jessica Parker’s, in the film Sex and the city (2010). Karisma Kapoor is making her comeback with Dangerous Ishq, that will release on May 11. The first look stills of the film have hit the web. The films also stars Jimmy Shergill, Divya Dutta, Sameer Kochar, Gracy Singh and Ruslaan Mumtaz. Lolo plays the role of Sanjana, a supermodel. Her husband, played by Rajniesh Duggal, is the son of a big industrialist and vanishes under mysterious circumstances. The film revolves around her quest to save him, and the lengths she goes to in the process. Source-Hindustan Times

Sunny Leone gets bold and beautiful

Sunny Leone is currently living her dream while shooting for Pooja Bhatt’s Jism 2 in Jaipur. Just a week into filming, Leone seems to be enjoying every bit of it, as is evident from her regular Twitter updates. While Leone plays the female lead, the film will have two male protagonists played by Randeep Hooda and Arunoday Singh. Also, Imran Zahid plays the pivotal role of a narcotics sleuth hailing from Delhi. Leone plays a woman caught in the crossfire as two men try to seduce her and are, in-turn, seduced by her. “Sunny is working hard to make every shot looks exquisite. Everyone on the sets is surprised by her quick learning capabilites, as she is doing a great job at learning her Hindi  dialogues,” says a unit member. After Jaipur, the crew’s next stop is Delhi, and they are expected to shoot here later this month. Giving a brief insight into her role, Leone shares, ”The story is about the journey of a woman who the audience will love and hate at the same time.” The film is slated to release in December this year. Source-Hindustan Times

The battle for revival

Rajasthan Royals begin their fresh campaign under a new captain who though equally acclaimed internationally, has as different a nature as possible to Shane Warne, the former RR skipper. Warne always spoke his mind and lived life to the fullest, on and off the field. Dravid is reserved and goes about his business quietly. A new chapter How Rajasthan Royals have gelled under Dravid will be clear only on Friday, when they face Kings XI Punjab in the opener. Although Dravid's one-day record is phenomenal, he has over the years been captioned as a Test player. In that backdrop, this will be a litmus test. "I have been playing this for four years now. At that stage (when he was first picked by RCB), it was just the beginning. Yes, there is a lot more responsibility and expectations now." On Thursday morning at the Rajasthan Cricket Academy nets, it was a Dravid trying to re-invent his game, going for lofted hits. His teammates too followed, hitting many in the pool that’s been left dry after RCB’s Chris Gayle last year created a headache for the locals by hitting regularly in the water.   Raring to go Do these shots mean a change in style? “No, I am not practicing any different shots.” What irked him most was probably the way people were treating him as junk machine being put into work again. He is well-oiled, he insisted. “I've just retired from cricket. It's not that I've been away from cricket for long. This is just a continuation." Dravid will be up against a seasoned pro Adam Gilchrist, who has already led Deccan Chargers to a title but is trying to recreate that magic with Kings XI Punjab. Source-Ht

Capital connect will not matter in this clash of colours

It was a funny sight at the pre-IPL training session at the Eden Gardens. Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils take on each other in the tournament's second match here on Thursday, but it looked more like a get together of the Delhi Ranji Trophy team, divided only by the colours.Gautam Gambhir taking charge as skipper from local hero Sourav Ganguly has not only divided the Kolkata crowd - a lot of whom now support Pune Warriors and actually want Shah Rukh Khan's boys to do badly - but it has also prompted Delhi all-rounder Rajat Bhatia, and this year, left-arm seamer Pradeep Sangwan, to switch allegiance to Kolkata. Not just that, former Delhi skipper and wicketkeeper Vijay Dahiya is the assistant coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Warming the bench
Bhatia playing most of the matches last season had pushed Bengal all-rounder Laxmi Ratan Shukla to the bench.

That could again emerge as the bone of contention this time as Shukla, who was in blistering form with the bat and ball in Ranji Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which Bengal won, had wanted to follow his Bengal teammates Ashok Dinda and Anustup Majumdar to Pune, but was not released. The only local face that could figure prominently on Thursday is Manoj Tiwary. He was made to sit out 12 consecutive matches for India --- 11 ODIs in Australia and Asia Cup and a one-off T20 in South Africa. The next two months could provide him another scope to catch the eyes of the selectors. Tiwary had made the switch from Delhi Daredevils last season to ensure more matches. Son of the soil
Similarly, the only son of the soil featuring in the Delhi Daredevils line-up could be skipper Virender Sehwag. Unmukt Chand is the skipper of the India U-19 squad touring Australia and is unavailable. For the rest, the Daredevils appear to have better domestic options for the likes of Yogesh Nagar, Puneet Bisht and Pawan Negi. Unlike the KKR, who have all their foreign players available from the start, there is an unsettled look to the Delhi Daredevils. Having finished at the bottom of the charts in the last edition with just four wins in 14 matches, they have bolstered the squad by buying the likes of Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene, England's Kevin Pietersen and Kiwis Ross Taylor and Doug Bracewell, as well as West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell. Waiting for arrival
However, Jayawardene and Pietersen aren't available before their third match due to the ongoing Test series in Sri Lanka, which finishes on April 7. Taylor is nursing a broken arm for which his Daredevils' team mate Morne Morkel has to take the blame after the South African pacer felled the Kiwi skipper in the Wellington Test. Taylor will be out for at least a month while Sehwag's opening partner David Warner will not be available till Australia's tour of the West Indies gets over in May

source-hindustan times

Swine flu makes a comeback, but it's under control

In a bleak reminder of 2009 when the H1N1 virus or swine flu claimed scores of lives worldwide, a 34-year-old man died at Nashik Civil Hospital on April 1. Two days after Nandu Chavan died, he was found to be carrying the deadly virus. Another patient in the same hospital has also tested positive. So far 12 people have died of swine flu in Maharashtra this year — 11 from Pune district. “Chavan died of acute respiratory distress syndrome. The tests confirmed on Tuesday that he had swine flu,” said Dr Pradip Awate, state epidemiologist, directorate of health services. Health officials said the incidence is likely to drop in 2-3 weeks as summer has set in. Although these cases are sporadic and not similar to the outbreak in 2009 when swine flu claimed more than 90 people in Pune and more than 30 in Mumbai, doctors are not taking a chance. In Mumbai, eight positive cases of swine flu have been reported so far. Officials said all eight were recovering well after they were given the prescribed drug Tamiflu. Madhya Pradesh One man has died of swine flu in Bhopal, while one more has tested positive. The deceased, Anil Hole, 37, of Saket Nagar was admitted to a private hospital on March 25 with severe cold and lung congestion. “After he was diagnosed with pneumonia, his blood sample was sent to Jabalpur to check for swine flu. Hole died on March 27,” said Dr PN Agrawal of Agrawal Hospital and Research Centre. The report confirmed Hole was suffering from swine flu. Gujarat There are four confirmed cases of swine flu in Gujarat, from Anand, Rajkot and Ahmedabad. “All four are under treatment,” said Gujarat’s health minister Jaynarayan Vyas. “We are taking all possible measures to see that the epidemic does not spread. All government hospitals are equipped to treat the patients detected with deadly virus,” Vyas added. In 2010, swine flu had claimed 18 lives in Gujarat — the casualties being 21% of the total cases reported in the state, which was significantly higher than the national average of 10%. Rajasthan One person has died of swine flu in Nagaur, while a four-year old boy has tested positive in Jodhpur, says the health department. Since Sunday, six people have been found swine flu positive. Director public health Dr BR Meena said there was no need to worry, as the department was equipped to combat this disease. Source-Hindustan Times

Not work for a small child

Imagine this: you have two children, a toddler and a teenager. Would you ever leave the younger one in the care of the older one (unsupervised by a senior) for a long period of time? Or would you leave your minor child unattended at home with gas and electrical appliances within his/her reach? In both cases, we assume, the answer would be a firm no. But when it comes to a minor domestic help, such caution is thrown to the winds, even though the act of employing a minor as a domestic is illegal. But since there is a gap between the law and its implementation (especially as long as things don’t get out of hand), child labour thrives in India, right under our benign gaze. In yet another case of such child abuse, the Delhi Police on Wednesday arrested a doctor couple, Sanjay and Sumita Verma, for locking up their minor domestic help at home and going on a holiday to Bangkok with their 11-year-old daughter. It was four days after their departure that the girl, who hails from Jharkhand, was rescued. She later told the police that the couple starved and beat her on a regular basis and confined her to the house. A case was filed against the couple under the Juvenile Justice Act, the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, and the Indian Penal Code. Despite a web of strong laws, the number of child workers in the country is substantial. The 2001 census, which enumerated child labour by occupation, revealed that 1.86 lakh children below the age of 14 were engaged as domestic workers. Along with very slack implementation, even after so many years of the Child Labour (prohibition and regulation) Act, 1986, coming into being, the trend continues because not only is it cheaper to hire young children but also because there is silent societal support — or at least no strong opposition — against such hiring. This is only supported sometimes by a specious argument that the children who work as domestic help are at least better off than they would have been in their villages, where two square meals could be a luxury at times. There is hardly any logic to the argument because for a working child, a day spent as a domestic help means she goes two steps back from the constitutional rights she enjoys as a citizen and there can be no greater joy and sense of security for a child than to be with her parents. The demand for such young workers has been rising in India and the sorry state of affairs in the rural areas has only helped in stitching a demand-supply link, which is usually serviced by unscrupulous touts who indulge in child trafficking. While the laws can help to tackle cases that come to light, there must be equal if not greater stress on tackling the root of the supply. Is this conspiratorial silence because children don’t have a voice or a vote? Source-Hindustan Times

MI close in on win vs CSK

13th over: Mumbai 92 for 2. A quiet over for the visitors. Amabati Rayudu and James Franklin are not taking any chances. Not a bad strategy at all since they are so close to the target. Just 21 runs away from victory. 12th over: Mumbai 87 for 2b> Albie Morkel is back on and does a great job but that doesn't help his team's cause. Mumbai need just 26 runs to win. From here, it's their match to lose. 11th over: Mumbai 84 for 2. Spinner Shadab Jakati is brought on to bowl but fails to impress as eight runs come off the over. 10th over: Mumbai 76 for 2. CSK have pulled back a bit in the last two overs. Sachin Tendulkar (16) leaves the field retired-hurt on account of a finger injury. Ambati Rayudu is next in. One interesting fact. Mumbai were 75 for thee at this stage. 9th over: Mumbai 72 for 2. Rohit Sharma out for a duck. The Bollinger ball bounces a little more than expected and the batsman edges it to the wicketkeeper. Good comeback by the hosts. But more wickets are needed if they want to make a match of it. Rohit Sharma c †Dhoni b Bollinger 0 (3) 8th over: Mumbai 69 for 1. Levi out. Finds Bollinger at long-on off the bowling of Dwayne Bravo. But he has done his job. 50 off 35 balls is profound. Remember, it was his debut match. Levi c Bollinger b Bravo 50 (35) 7th over: Mumbai 61 for 0. Now Levi is unleashing his fury on Ravichandran Ashwin. Another six over mid-wicket, off the fourth ball. A wicket is the need of the hour for the hosts. 6th over: Mumbai 53 for 4. Richard Levi is on fire. Ravindra Jadeja is at the receiving end. First ball goes for a four, the second goes for a six over mid-wicket - slog sweep used to good effect. The last ball again fetches a boundary for the South African. 16 runs from the over. CSK bowling looks all over the place right now. 5th over: Mumbai 37 for 0. Ravichandran Ashwin bowls a tidy over. Just two runs from the over. 4th over: Mumbai 34 for 0. Two fours come from the Bollinger over. Levi is doing a great job of the visitors. 3rd over: Mumbai 23 for 0. Vintage Tendulkar. The second ball from Albie Morkel races to boundary, through the covers. The odd ball is kicking up, encouraging signs for the bowler. But hang on, Tendulkar hits a huge six. The ball is full and he smashes it over covers for the maximum. Not good signs for CSK. 2nd over: Mumbai 11 for 0. Australian Doug Bollinger concedes a four off the first ball. Levi hits it past point. Another four for the South African, pulls the fourth ball with tremendous power. Dwayne Bravo dives in vain. The next delivery has been called a wide. A single and no-run complete the over. 1st over: Mumbai 1 for 0. South African Albie Morkel opens the bowling for CSK. Richard Levi, the fastest ton-maker in T20 internationals, is out there with the great Sachin Tendulkar. He opens his and Mumbai's account off the fifth ball. Chennai 112 all out in 19.5 overs A superb bowling show by Mumbai to bundle out the reigning champions to a paltry total. If we leave alone the knock of Raina, the Chennai batsmen failed to get going and they were pegged back with regular wickets. 19.5 L Malinga to D Bollinger, OUT! Back of a length delivery around off, Bollinger hops back to whack it over point but fails to get the elevation. A straightforward catch to Rohit Sharma at point and he makes no mistake. Chennai all out for 112! 112/10 19.4 L Malinga to S Jakati, Squeezes out a yorker to the on side and steals a single. 112/9 19.3 L Malinga to S Jakati, Another full delivery bowled outside leg, Jakati backed away to swing his blade across the line but missed. The keeper behind the wickets is standing on the verge of in circle and returns it back to the bowler immediately. Now, Simon Taufel has a chat with Karthik regarding his position behind the wickets. 111/9 19.2 L Malinga to D Bollinger, A lethal yorker fired in the blockhole, Bollinger dug it out and it came off the inside edge. They crossed for one. 111/9 19.1 L Malinga to S Jakati, Fuller delivery on off, Jakati opens the face late and guides it to third man for a single. 110/9 19th over: Chennai 109 for 9 18.6 H Singh to S Jakati, 1 run. 109/9 18.5 H Singh to D Bollinger, Bowls it close to the yorker length, Bollinger tries to heave it across the line but gets an inside edge to short fine leg. They cross for a brisk single as Tendulkar fires in a throw at the bowler's end. 108/9 18.4 H Singh to S Jakati, Fuller delivery on middle, forced past the bowler for a single down the ground. 107/9 18.3 H Singh to D Bollinger, Another quick delivery on off, skidding on with the angle, Bollinger tries to force it through the line but gets an inside edge to fine leg. One run added to the total. 106/9 18.2 H Singh to D Bollinger, Slider on off, Bollinger goes back and cuts it straight to point. 105/9 18.1 H Singh to S Jakati, Presses forward and lifts it over mid on for one. 105/9 18th over: Chennai 104 for 9 17.6 L Malinga to R Jadeja, OUT b Lasith Malinga. Chennai have lost their ninth wicket. 104/9 17.5 L Malinga to S Jakati, Once again squeezes out a yorker length delivery and finds the gap through point. A single. 104/8 17.4 L Malinga to S Jakati, A fantastic yorker in the blockhole at 139.9 kph, Jakati digs it out somehow. 103/8 17.3 L Malinga to S Jakati, On middle, helped straight to mid-wicket. 103/8 17.2 L Malinga to S Jakati, Outside off, Jakati pokes at it and misses. 103/8 Shadab Jakati is the new batsman. 17.1 L Malinga to R Ashwin, OUT! Malinga bowls a slowish fuller delivery on middle, Ashwin flicks it off his pads to square leg and attempts for the second run. Harbhajan quickly rushes to the ball and returns a good throw to the keeper, who removes the bails in a flash. Ashwin has no chance of making it to the other end and Chennai have lost another wicket via a run out. 103/8 17th over: Chennai 102 for 7 16.6 K Pollard to R Ashwin, Short delivery outside off, this time Ashwin makes contact to send it to sweeper cover. A single. 102/7 16.5 K Pollard to R Ashwin, Attempts to cut it through point but once again fails to get bat on ball. 101/7 16.4 K Pollard to R Ashwin, Length delivery in the channel outside off, at 118.4 kph, Ashwin flashes his blade through the line and misses. 101/7 16.3 K Pollard to R Jadeja, Presses forward and drives a full delivery through the line to long off. 101/7 16.2 K Pollard to R Ashwin, Fuller delivery on the pads, ticked behind square leg for one. 100/7 Ravichandran Ashwin comes out to the middle. 16.1 K Pollard to S Badrinath, OUT! Pollard strikes again and is all pumped up. A fullish length delivery on off, Badrinath tried to whip it across the line but failed to keep it down. It was uppish and Harbhajan pouched it with ease at mid-wicket. Chennai have lost their seventh wicket. 99/7 16th over: Chennai 99 for 6 15.6 P Ojha to S Badrinath, Works a length delivery off his pads and crosses for a run. 99/6 15.5 P Ojha to R Jadeja, Leans across and clips it off his pads to short fine leg for a single. 98/6 15.4 P Ojha to S Badrinath, Goes back and and punches it in front of point for one. 97/6 15.3 P Ojha to R Jadeja, Finds the gap on the leg side and gets off the mark with a single. 96/6 15.2 P Ojha to R Jadeja, Fuller length delivery on middle, Jadeja defends it off his pads to mid-wicket. 95/6 Ravindra Jadeja is the new batsman out to the middle. 15.1 P Ojha to S Badrinath, OUT! Another run out! Flatter delivery on middle, Badrinath goes back and pushes it in front of point. They attempt for a single and there is a run out appeal against Dhoni. Third umpire is referred and the replays show that the Chennai skipper is well short of his crease. Abu Nechim was superb with his throw and the wicketkeeper removed the bails in a jiffy. Chennai 6 down for 95! 95/6 15th over: Chennai 95 for 5 14.6 K Pollard to S Badrinath, 1 run. 95/5 14.5 K Pollard to MS Dhoni, A low full toss outside off, MSD walks forward a bit and turns it to deep mid-wicket for a run. 94/5 14.4 K Pollard to S Badrinath, Tucks it off his pads to the on side and rotates the strike. 93/5 14.4 K Pollard to S Badrinath, Wide! A tennis ball bounce! The bowler hurls in a short delivery and it goes well above the batsman's head. Karthik does well to leap and stop it from racing away. 92/5 14.3 K Pollard to S Badrinath, Too full in length on off, Badrinath presses forward and defends it to covers. 91/5 14.2 K Pollard to MS Dhoni, Room offered outside off, Dhoni cracks it behind cover-point for a single. 91/5 14.1 K Pollard to MS Dhoni, Good length delivery shaping back into the batsman, Dhoni punches it off his back foot but finds the short cover fielder. 90/5 14th over: Chennai 90 for 5 13.6 P Ojha to S Badrinath, Quicker one on off, Badrinath brings his bat and pad together for defense. A tidy over, just four off it! 90/5 13.5 P Ojha to MS Dhoni, Stretches well forward and guides it in the gap at covers. They pinch a single. 90/5 13.4 P Ojha to S Badrinath, Fuller in length outside off, eased to long off. 89/5 13.3 P Ojha to MS Dhoni, The bowler pulls his length back a bit and MSD gets back inside the crease to bunt it to mid on. A single. 88/5 13.2 P Ojha to MS Dhoni, Tossed up delivery on off, Dhoni got forward and pushed it to covers. 87/5 13.1 P Ojha to S Badrinath, Loopy delivery outside off, Badrinath nudges it to point for one. 87/5 13th over: Chennai 86 for 5 12.6 K Pollard to S Badrinath, 1 run. 86/5 12.5 K Pollard to S Badrinath, No run. 85/5 MS Dhoni strides out to the middle with Chennai in a spot of bother after three quick wickets. 12.4 K Pollard to A Morkel, OUT! Another one disappears in the deep. Pollard hurls in a short delivery on middle and off, Morkel attempts to ease it across the line but gets a top edge. It flies in the air, kisses the night sky and then falls safely into the hands of Ojha at deep mid-wicket. 85/5 12.3 K Pollard to A Morkel, Good length delivery on middle and off, Morkel pushes it off his back foot to point. Looks for a single but is sent back by his partner. 85/4 12.2 K Pollard to S Badrinath, Outside off, Badri runs it down to third man for one. 85/4 12.1 K Pollard to S Badrinath, Slants in a fuller length delivery, Badrinath pushes it to mid off. No run. 84/4 12th over: Chennai 84 for 4 11.6 P Ojha to S Badrinath, 1 run. 84/4 11.5 P Ojha to A Morkel, On the pads, the batsman uses his wrists to flick it through square leg for a single. 83/4 11.4 P Ojha to S Badrinath, Gets on the front foot and forces it through covers for one. 82/4 11.3 P Ojha to A Morkel, Down the leg side, Morkel misses out on the flick shot but it hits his pads and rolls in the gap at square leg. They steal a leg bye. 81/4 Subramaniam Badrinath is the new batsman. 11.2 P Ojha to D Bravo, OUT! Holes out in the deep. Ojha serves a fuller length delivery on middle and Bravo tries to launch it into the long on stands. He fails to get enough power behind the shot and Pollard in the deep moves swiftly to his right to collect the catch. Two quick wickets for Mumbai and they have come back strongly. 80/4 11.1 P Ojha to D Bravo, Slow loopy delivery spinning away from the batsman, Bravo tries to play the late cut but is late in his attempt. 80/3 11th over: Chennai 80 for 3 10.6 K Pollard to D Bravo, Length delivery cutting back into the batsman, Bravo closes the face of the bat and helps it to mid-wicket for a run. 80/3 10.5 K Pollard to A Morkel, Gets forward and forces it to long off for one. 79/3 10.4 K Pollard to A Morkel, Short of a length delivery on middle and off, at 124.0 kph, Morkel attempts to hook it but misses. 78/3 10.3 K Pollard to D Bravo, A slow off-cutter on off, Bravo pats it in front of point and scampers for a quick single. Rohit misses the shy at the striker's end and it hits Morkel on the thigh. He is in a bit of pain! 78/3 10.2 K Pollard to A Morkel, Opens up a bit and cracks it to mid off for a quick single. 77/3 10.2 K Pollard to A Morkel, Wide! Length delivery down the leg side, at 121.2 kph, Morkel fails to flick it off his pads. 76/3 10.1 K Pollard to A Morkel, Rocks back and punches it straight to covers. 75/3 10th over: Chennai 75 for 3 9.6 P Ojha to D Bravo, No run. 75/3 Subramaniam Badrinath arrives at the crease. 9.5 P Ojha to S Raina, OUT! The big fish departs and Ojha is ecstatic. A loopy delivery outside off, Raina dances down the track for an inside out shot over covers but miscues it. It flies in the air and Malinga judges the catch nicely near the ropes at sweeper cover. Chennai have lost their third wicket. 75/3 9.4 Ojha to Bravo, Plays it late and cuts it in front of short third man for one. 75/2 9.3 Ojha to Bravo, FOUR! Well played. A fuller length delivery on off, Bravo opens up a bit and strokes it elegantly behind point for a boundary. 74/2 9.2 Ojha to Dwayne Bravo, Swings his blade across the line but it comes off the inside edge and goes straight to mid-wicket. 70/2 9.1 Ojha to Raina, Starts with a quicker delivery on leg, Raina sweeps it away in front of square leg for one. 70/2 9th over: Chennai 69 for 2 8.6 H Singh to S Raina, Flicks it off his pads to the on side and keeps the strike. 69/2 8.5 H Singh to S Raina, FOUR! Boom! A quicker delivery speared into the batsman, Raina swung his blade across the line and dismissed it to the cow corner boundary. 68/2 8.4 H Singh to D Bravo, Driven towards the mid on region. They pick up a single. 64/2 8.3 H Singh to D Bravo, Gets on the front foot and drives it straight to covers. 63/2 8.2 H Singh to S Raina, Helps it to mid-wicket and crosses for a single. 63/2 8.1 H Singh to S Raina, Quicker delivery skidding down the leg side, Raina failed to flick it and was hit on the pads. A stifled appeal for an LBW was turned down. 62/2 8th over: Chennai 62 for 2 7.6 J Franklin to D Bravo, FOUR! Excellent! Width offered outside off, Bravo climbs onto that one and bullets it over covers for a boundary. 62/2 7.5 J Franklin to D Bravo, FOUR! Lots of Caribbean flavour in that shot. Franklin bowls it on a fuller length around off at 117.6 kph and Bravo muscles it straight down the ground for a powerful boundary. 58/2 7.4 J Franklin to S Raina, Fuller length delivery outside off, Raina lofts it over covers for a single. It goes on a bounce to Ojha in the deep. 54/2 7.3 J Franklin to S Raina, FOUR! Superb shot. Raina fetches a length delivery from outside off and hammers it over mid-wicket for a boundary. Very well played! 53/2 7.2 J Franklin to D Bravo, Walks forward and flicks it behind square leg for a single. 49/2 7.1 J Franklin to D Bravo, Angles across a fuller length delivery, Bravo pushes it off his back foot but finds the short cover fielder. 48/2 7th over: Chennai 48 for 2 6.6 H Singh to D Bravo, Tucks a full delivery off his pads to deep mid-wicket and jogs for a single. 48/2 6.5 H Singh to S Raina, Once again sliding down the leg side, Raina helps it off his pads to deep square leg for one. 47/2 6.5 H Singh to S Raina, Wide! Another quicker delivery at 92.0 kph fired down the leg side. 46/2 6.4 H Singh to D Bravo, Driven towards the mid off region. One run added to the total. 45/2 6.3 H Singh to D Bravo, A doosra around off, skidding on with the angle, Bravo pushes inside the line and is beaten. It missed the off stump by a whisker. 44/2 Harsha Bhogle tweets, Interesting pitch today. Lots of grass but ball not flying. Might be a decoy. 6.2 H Singh to D Bravo, Flighted delivery on middle, Bravo defended it back to the bowler. 44/2 6.1 H Singh to S Raina, A touch short in length outside off, Raina goes deep inside the crease and guides it through cover-point for one. 44/2 6.1 H Singh to S Raina, Wide! Flatter and quicker but down the leg side. Nicely kept by Karthik. 43/2 6th over: Chennai 42 for 2 5.6 J Franklin to D Bravo, Four Leg byes! Fuller length delivery drifting down the leg side, Bravo fails to flick it and it brushes his pads on its way to the fine leg fence. 42/2 Dwayne Bravo is the new batsman. 5.5 J Franklin to M Vijay, OUT! Change of pace does the trick. Franklin serves a full delivery on middle at 117.2 kph, Vijay fails to pick it and is early with his flick shot. He ends up spooning a straightforward catch to Harbhajan at mid-wicket. 38/2 5.4 J Franklin to S Raina, Pushed to the cover region by the batsman. They pick up a single. 38/1 5.3 J Franklin to M Vijay, Short delivery on middle and leg line, at 121.0 kph, Vijay goes back to make some room and taps it in front of point. They cross for a brisk run. 37/1 5.2 J Franklin to S Raina, Too full in length on off, at 115.4 kph, Raina leans across and flicks it to deep mid-wicket for one. 36/1 5.1 J Franklin to M Vijay, Starts the spell with a short delivery, Vijay stands his ground and pulls it to deep square leg for a single. 35/1 5th over: Chennai 34 for 1 4.6 H Singh to S Raina, No run. 34/1 4.5 H Singh to M Vijay, 1 run. 34/1 4.4 H Singh to S Raina, Defends it with soft hands and pinches a single. 33/1 4.3 H Singh to S Raina, Quicker delivery on middle, Raina hits it uppishly to the on side and it drops just in front of the mid on fielder and sneaks through him. The batsmen have picked up a couple of runs. 32/1 4.2 H Singh to M Vijay, Slider going on with the angle from round the wicket, Vijay tries to work it across the line but gets an outside edge. It rolls in front of short third man and they cross. 30/1 4.1 H Singh to S Raina, Fuller delivery on off, driven through mid off for a single. 29/1 4th over: Chennai 28 for 1 3.6 Abu Nechim to Vijay, FOUR. 28/1 3.5 Abu Nechim to Vijay, Good delivery. A slightly shorter one at 136.5 kph, Vijay attempts to play the horizontal bat shot but misses. 24/1 3.4 Abu Nechim to S Raina, Hops back a bit to the leg side and eases it to third man for one. 24/1 3.3 Abu Nechim to Raina, SIX! First biggie of the tournament and it is a handsome one too. A fuller length delivery on off, at 138.3 kph, Raina gets underneath the delivery and powers it over long off. 23/1 3.2 Abu Nechim to Raina, Short on middle, at 142.9 kph, pulled behind mid-wicket for a couple. 17/1 3.1 Abu Nechim to Raina, Good length delivery angling away from the batsman, Raina attempts to heave it across the line but misses. 15/1 3rd over: Chennai 15 for 1 2.6 Malinga to S Raina, 1 run. 15/1 2.6 Malinga to S Raina, Wide. 14/1 2.5 Malinga to Vijay, Fullish delivery on off, at 144.0 kph, driven wide of mid off for a run. 13/1 2.4 Malinga to Vijay, Vijay is struggling to find gaps. Gets a length delivery on off and he nudges it to covers. 12/1 2.3 Malinga to Vijay, clever change in pace on that occasion, dished out a full delivery at 124.9 kph, Vijay picked it late and only managed to defend it to the off side. 12/1 2.2 Malinga to Vijay, Fraction short in length around off, at 142.3 kph, Vijay pushes it with an angled bat and helps it straight to Pollard at point. 12/1 2.1 Malinga to S Raina, Fuller length delivery outside off, Raina pushes it with excellent timing and finds the gap through covers. Three runs added to the total. 12/1 2nd over: Chennai 9 for 1 1.6 Abu Nechim to Raina, offers width outside off, Raina strokes it behind point for one. Malinga puts in a valiant dive in the deep to save a certain boundary. 9/1 1.5 Abu Nechim to Vijay, Gets off the mark finally. Just a touch short in length outside off, Vijay glances it to mid-wicker for a single. 8/1 1.4 Abu Nechim to Vijay, Pressure building on Vijay! Good length delivery outside off, Vijay plays it straight to point. 7/1 1.3 Abu Nechim to Vijay, Again too full in length on middle, Vijay hits it down the ground but finds mid on. 7/1 1.2 Abu Nechim to M Vijay, Fuller length delivery outside off, driven straight to the cover fielder. Vijay still to get off the mark. 7/1 1.2 Abu Nechim to Vijay, Wide! Length delivery sliding down the leg side. 7/1 1.1 Abu Nechim to Raina, A touch short in length outside off, Raina attempts to cut it but gets a bottom edge towards third man. A single. 6/1 1st over: Chennai Super Kings 5 for 1 0.6 Malinga to Raina, 1 run. 5/1 0.5 Malinga to Raina, Oohhhh... a Malinga yorker at 144.5 kph to greet the batsman. Raina falls across to the off side and somehow digs it out to the leg side. 4/1 Suresh Raina walks out to the middle. 0.4 Malinga to Vijay, OUT! Run out! Good length delivery on off, Vijay taps it with soft hands to covers and calls his partner through for a quick single. Faf responds and sprints to the other end and in the meanwhile, Rayudu charges to the ball and scores a direct hit at the striker's end. Third umpire is called and the replays show that du Plessis is well short of his crease. 4/1 0.3 Malinga to Vijay, Length delivery on off, at 143.6 kph, Vijay pushes it softly to point. Pollard is manning that region and there is no chance of a run there. 4/0 0.2 Malinga to du Plessis, Fuller length delivery on middle, Faf clips it off his pads and finds the gap through mid-wicket. They take three runs. 4/0 0.1 Malinga to du Plessis, Back of a length delivery around off, du Plessis gets behind the line and defends it back to the bowler. 1/0 0.1 Malinga to du Plessis, Wide! Poor start, a full delivery wide down the leg side. The batsman fails to get any bat behind it. 1/0 7.30 p.m.: Welcome to the IPL 5 opener between defending champions Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Harbhajan Singh to captain Mumbai after Sachin Tendulkar stepped down from the role a couple of days ago. CSK's Ravindra Jadeja is upbeat, says the team is looking to start on a winning note. Mumbai have won the toss, will bowl first. We will have the teams for you soon. South African Richard Levi gets a game for Mumbai. Remember, he has hit the fastest ton in T20 internationals. Chennai: Murali Vijay, Faf du Plessis, Subramaniam Badrinath, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Albie Morkel, R Ashwin, Sadab Jakati, Doug Bollinger Source-Cricketnext

I've faced sexual harassment, says Chitrangada Singh

To prepare for her role in director Sudhir Mishra’s tentatively titled Inkaar, Chitrangada Singh recalls her personal memories of being sexually harassed in ‘aggressive’ north India. The film is about sexual abuse at workplaces. “Since I spent most of my growing years in Delhi and Meerut, I have had my share of such experiences; a couple were really bad ones too,” says Chitrangada. Source-Hindustan Times

I have cellulite, can't wear a bikini, admits Sonam

Actor Sonam Kapoor, who played a computer hacker in Players, feels that she is yet to achieve the body to don a bikini onscreen. "I don't have the body for bikini. I don't look like Bipasha or Deepika Padukone or Anushka Sharma. I am not thin. I have a big bum, big arms, I have cellulite," Sonam said. "I have lost a lot of weight but I don't want to portray that as of now. I think I can look hot even without wearing a bikini. When I feel I need to work harder to acquire the perfect shape for a bikini I shall do so. As of now I don't have patience and I want to maintain healthy eating and normal lifestyle," Sonam added. Source-Hindustan Times

Yes, I have cheated, confesses Ranbir Kapoor

Ranbir and Deepika were dating for two years before they broke up in November 2009. At the time, it was rumoured that Ranbir had cheated on the actor with his Rajneeti co-star Katrina Kaif, which led to their split. “Yes, I have, out of immaturity, out of inexperience, out of taking advantage of certain temptations, out of callousness,” said Ranbir in an interview in the October edition of entertainment glossy Stardust. “You realise it now, when you grow up and you value it more — why be in a relationship, why be committed to someone when you cannot be committed? I’ve realised that now. That’s why I don’t want to jump into a relationship with anybody because ... unless you have a special bond, a special equation with somebody, somebody who you can be committed to, somebody who can trust you, who you can respect, there’s no point,” he said. Source-Hindustan Times

IPL veiled from Australian television viewers

The Aussie television viewers will miss all the action of the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League, starting in Chennai on Wednesday, due to a stalemate involving Australian television networks and Indian cricket administrators. 'Network Ten' held the rights for the first four related stories IPL not moneyball anymore seasons of the IPL but declined to broadcast last year's tournament, mainly because of the poor ratings and also because it coincided with a diversification of its One HD channel away from consisting solely of sport, according to Source-Hindustan Times

New leader takes on big chief in his hunting ground

It was difficult to tell who looked happier -Harbhajan Singh at being anointed the captain or Sachin Tendulkar for giving up the job - during the Mumbai Indians' practice on Tuesday. While it's easy to understand the joy of the new man in the hot seat, it's not hard to grasp the feelings of the man he's succeeded either. The burden of captaincy has always been a little too heavy for Sachin Tendulkar. He has been happily carrying the batting expectations of billion-odd fans for over two decades, but captaincy has never been his cup of tea. It always appeared a distraction that threatened to wean him away from his first love - his batting. No distractions Little wonder then, with the distraction gone, the maestro was just not ready to leave the nets ahead of their opener against holders Chennai Super Kings at the Chepauk stadium. Under the hot Chennai sun, where all others perhaps had one eye on the clock and strained their ears to hear the 'pack-up' call from the coach, Tendulkar looked too engrossed with his batting to bother about the sizzling sun. Even as others sneaked out one by one from the nets, he had another stint and left the ground looking calm and content once he was satisfied he had hit enough balls. And that's how his new captain wants him to be. "The last few months have been difficult for him. We just want him to bat freely, without any pressure," said Harbhajan. Firing up team The move may prove the masterstroke for Mumbai Indians and a nightmare for their opponents, for it gives Tendulkar the freedom to focus solely on his batting, and Harbhajan a chance to replicate his Champions League success. And the Chennai Super Kings, their opponents in the opener, are quick to take note of the danger. "Harbhajan is a good captain, he's a fighter. It's going to be an exciting contest," said Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni. But no matter what, the defending champions will be a tough nut to crack, especially at home where they have been almost invincible. Add to the script the urge Dhoni must have to find his Midas touch again after suffering several reversals in international cricket, the contest gets even more intriguing. Source-Hindustan Times

IPL5: Glam over cricket in subdued opener

They tried their best to emulate the flamboyance witnessed in the initial IPL opening ceremonies. But Tuesday's show demonstrated that the current dispensation has some distance to travel before matching the benchmark set at the outset by the glitzy league. In terms of cash, probably, a few millions more were spent this time, but the entertainment quotient was not really up to the mark. Despite a brilliant star cast, and a large crowd, something was still amiss. The stars put on acts of individual brilliance but the coordination was missing. Getting together Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and pop icon Katy Perry for the opening show was a coup or sorts. And Bachchan, Salman and Perry brightened the evening with their classy individual efforts. Perception battle Fighting the perception that the IPL is losing steam, its bosses went all out to make a statement. The idea was to create a buzz, and a strong opening in cinematic parlance. The ceremony drew thousands of young people and they had a gala time. While it was a night dominated by cine and pop stars - right from Bachchan rendering a cricket-themed poem, the crowd didn't let the cricketers feel left out. Every time their faces were flashed on the screen or they walked on stage to take the oath of fair play, the fans went berserk, with the loudest cheer reserved for home team skipper, MS Dhoni. Apart from that, it was a typical Bollywood night. The language didn't matter as they danced away to the popular Hindi numbers. "If the start has been so great, you can think of how it's going to finish," said IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla. Keep young fingers crossed! Good news for players The proceeds from the IPL play-offs will go to select 185 senior cricketers, the BCCI president N Srinivasan announced at the opening ceremony. Source-Hindustan Times

KKR playing well without Ganguly: SRK

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Shah Rukh Khan on Friday said his team is doing well in the Indian Premier League (IPL) without former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, who went unsold in the players' auction earlier this year. “I would have liked 'dada' (as Ganguly is popularly known) to play for us but in the scheme of things we wanted,” Shah Rukh told reporters at a promotional event here. “I think we didn’t just have one reason for failing in the last seasons, we have lots of them. And this time we wanted to start with a clean state and give the reins of all the team decisions to the coaching staff. By nature I am a very sporting person, and I think the choices made were wonderful - the team is playing well,” he added. Ganguly has been roped in by Pune Warriors as a replacement for injured fast bowler Ashish Nehra and Shah Rukh has wished him good luck. “As far as dada is concerned, he is my favourite player. I wish him all the best, wherever he goes. I hope he does very well with whichever team he plays - right now Pune Warriors, but hopefully not against us,” said Shah Rukh in his inimitable style. Source-Hindustan Times

IPL faces popularity test as India team struggles

Indian Premier League organizers have spent big on the opening ceremony for the upcoming season, hoping fans will regard the return of the rich Twenty20 series as a welcome distraction from the struggles of the national team rather than a reminder of them. American pop star Katy Perry and leaden Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan and actors Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor perform at Tuesday's gala opening. India was whitewashed 4-0 in consecutive away test series in England and Australia. It also failed to qualify for the finals of a tri-series in Australia and the Asia Cup in Dhaka last month, losing it No. 1 ranking in tests and sliding down the ODI standings within a year of winning the World Cup. "A performer of her (Perry's) caliber makes the occasion even more special for the IPL family - players, organisers and fans," IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla said in a statement. "The verve and originality of her music matches that of the competition." Even as the media speculates of a possible overkill of the game in recent months, Rupert Murdoch-owned Star TV won the rights for all cricket in India till 2018 for a whopping $750 million bid on Monday. The contract, which includes broadcast, internet and mobile rights, covers 96 games and comes to about $7.85 million per game. The previous rights holder, Nimbus, used to pay $6.38 million per game before its contract was terminated over a payments issue. Two-time defending champion Chennai Super Kings play Mumbai Indians in the season-opener in Chennai on Wednesday. The fifth edition comprising nine city-based franchises will feature 76 matches and will run till May 27. The IPL has given cricket an even higher profile, with billionaires and Bollywood beauties falling over each other to buy stakes in the teams, which feature players from around the world. Franchises clamored for players during the 2012 player auction in February and during the preceding month-long trading window. Last year's runner-up Royal Challengers Bangalore managed to retain West Indian Chris Gayle, who joined them as an injury replacement and emerged player of the series last year, while Pune Warriors last week signed up Australia captain Michael Clarke, who will make his IPL debut during the second half of the season after Australia's tour of the Caribbean. But the Pune team, which agreed to compete after threatening to withdraw over differences with the Board of Control for Cricket in India, will be without South Africa test captain Graeme Smith who has decided to undergo surgery on his injured left ankle. India's Rahul Dravid, one of only six international batsmen to have scored over 10,000 runs in both test and one-dayers and who announced his retirement from international cricket last month, will lead Rajasthan Royals after Australia leg-spin great Shane Warne retired from IPL. Sachin Tendulkar, who became the first batsman to achieve the milestone of a 100 international centuries last month, has given up captaincy and Mumbai Indians will now be led by India offspinner Harbhajan Singh, who led the team to victory in the Champions Trophy last year. This year's Twenty20 league has gained in significance as it offers an opportunity to players to get acclimatized to the slow and low subcontinent conditions ahead of the fourth edition of the World Twenty20 to be staged in Sri Lanka in September-October. Source-Hindustan Times

IPL5: Glamour quotient all-time high at opening ceremony

Nine captains of IPL playing teams pose during the opening night function and concert held at the YMCA College of Physical Education Grounds, Nandanam, Chennai. PTI photo more photos » A spectacular mix of Bollywood razzmatazz and high-octane performances by International stars were the highlights of a glittering opening ceremony which set the ball rolling for the fifth edition of the IPL in Chennai on Tuesday. The glamour quotient was at an all-time high as a galaxy of stars, led by megastar Amitabh Bachchan, descended at the at the YMCA College of Physical Education and set the stage on fire with their performance. Amitabh, returning to work after two abdominal surgeries earlier this year, started the proceedings for the evening with a rendition of a poem If I Were To Be Born Again, written by renowned lyricist Prasoon Joshi. The 69-year-old's baritone voice and inimitable style, coupled with a dance performance choreographed by Shiamak Davar at the background gave an apt start to the glittering ceremony, which set the stage for the 54-day extravaganza featuring nine teams. South African percussion band First Project, composer DJ Ravi Drums and Colonial Cousins then took the stage and churned out their brand of music, setting the pulses racing. Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra then enthralled the audience with her dance and heroics during her performance to the hit numbers from her films such as Don, Don 2 and Kaaminey, which even saw India spinner Harbhajan Singh shaking a leg on the stage. India's dancing sensation and Chennai's own Prabhu Deva then burned the dance floor with his power-packed performance where he danced to songs from films such as Wanted and Hum Se Hai Muqablah. Two-time title winners, Chennai Super Kings then took the stage and Priyanka Chopra shared some light moments with the cricketers as she quizzed skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and also taught Australian Doug Bollinger and Indian spinner R Ashwin some dancing steps. The Chammak Challo of the Tinsel town, Kareena Kapoor then set the heart racing with her dance numbers from films such as Ra One and Agent Vinod. The opening night then saw the oath-taking ceremony by the skippers of the nine teams, including retired Rahul Dravid and Australian Adam Gilchrist, as they signed the MCC Spirit of Cricket pledge. Defending champions CSK skipper Dhoni placed the trophy back on the podium and BCCI president N Srinivasan and IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla then joined the players on stage. "IPL has grown from strength to strength and has established itself as a premiere tournament. BCCI is extremely proud of this achievement. But who is the cause, first the commitment of the players both international and domestic, who participated in the event, the enthusiasm of the franchises and assistance of the supporting stuffs and the cricket fans in India and around the world have contributed to its great success. We expect IPL V to be no less," Srinivasan said. "We have not forgotten who played for us. The BCCI will give an one-time opportunity to cricketers who have graced Indian cricket -- International cricketer as well as domestic cricketers who played from a long time. Over 185 players will be benefited from it and we will start the distribution from this year. It is a small thank you from us to those who have done yeoman service to Indian cricket," he added. Shukla then flagged off the fifth edition, saying: "It gives me a great pleasure to flag off the fifth edition of the DLF Indian Premier League, an arena where quality international and domestic cricketers take part in intense contest of strategy and skill. IPL is a platform where talent meets opportunity." Details of IPL teams: Chennai Super Kings will be chasing a hat-trick of titles in the Indian Premier League (IPL) that starts on Wednesday. But the other seven franchises too can spring a surprise. The following is an analysis of all the nine teams taking part in the fifth IPL: Mumbai Indians: They look the most complete team and will be keen on winning their maiden IPL trophy. Sachin Tendulkar has been declared fit for the tournament and will bolster an already formidable batting line-up of Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Kieron Pollard, and latest T20 sensation Richard Levi. Sri Lanka speedster Lasith Malinga and Australian Mitchell Johnson will be the bowlers to look out for besides the familiar Munaf Patel and Rudra Pratap Singh. Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha will lead the spin attack. Mumbai reached the finals in 2010 and came fourth in the last edition. Delhi Daredevils: Things can only better for the side, which finished last in 2011. The Virender Sehwag-led unit is stronger with the inclusion of batting stars in Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene, Englishman Kevin Pietersen and Ross Taylor from New Zealand.   Sehwag's opening partner David Warner, who is on national duty in the Windies, will only be available at the end of the month. The bowling will be led by Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron and Irfan Pathan. The main concern for Delhi lies in the spin area. Pune Warriors: They will be determined to make a mark after having been in the news for off-field reasons, which at one point saw them pulling out of the tournament. Australia captain Michael Clarke has been brought in as a replacement for Yuvraj Singh. Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal was signed recently. Sourav Ganguly will lead a batting line-up that has Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Jesse Ryder (New Zealand) and Angelo Matthews (Sri Lanka). Bowling looks balanced with multiple spin and pace options. Leggie Rahul Sharma will be expected to deliver the goods again along with other experienced spinner Murali Karthik. Ashish Nehra is also in the squad but has fitness issues to deal with. Pune finished ninth in 2011. Deccan Chargers: The 2009 champions look one of the weaker teams. Former Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara has the challenge of bringing out the best from the young-looking team. Bowling remains their strength despite the withdrawal of fast bowler Ishant Sharma due to ankle injury. South African pacer Dale Steyn will be the one to look out for. Leg-spinner Amit Mishra will hope to carry on his good form of 2011. Australia's Daniel Christian and Cameron White are the all-round options. Chargers came sixth in 2011. Chennai Super Kings: The most successful team in IPL starts as the favourite again. Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be spoilt for choice in both the batting and bowling departments. Chennai have brought in all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and Australian pacer Ben Hilfenhaus. Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay and Subramaniam Badrinath form the batting chunk. Michael Hussey will be available after the Caribbean trip. Hilfenhaus joins compatriot Doug Bollinger in bowling with Ravichandran Ashwin being the leading spinner.     Royal Challengers Bangalore: Last year's runners-up can hope to go the distance with the presence of the explosive West Indian batsman Chris Gayle and the in form Virat Kohli. These two should get ample support from South Africa's AB de Villiers and Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan. Zaheer Khan and R Vinay Kumar will be the key in the fast bowling department. Champions spinners in Daniel Vettori and Muttiah Muralitharan certainly make Royal Challengers a force to reckon with. Kings XI Punjab: Captain and coach Adam Gilchrist will have the task of making the best use of the limited resources. The team does not boast of many big names. Australians David Hussey and Shaun Marsh are the prominent names in batting. Praveen Kumar, Ryan Harris and Piyush Chawla will have to do the job with the ball. Kolkata Knight Riders: Gautam Gambhir and his men have enough fire-power to build on their fourth place finish in 2011. The Australian fast bowling duo of Brett Lee and James Pattinson can trouble most batsmen.  The team also boasts of top-all rounders - Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan and South Africa legend Jacques Kallis. West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine and Iqbal Abdulla are likely to be the regular spinners. Other batsmen include Brendon McCullum, Eoin Morgan and big hitter Yusuf Pathan. Rajasthan Royals: Royals heavily depend on its batting to progress into the knock-out rounds with the likes of Rahul Dravid, Brad Hodge, Shane Watson, who is available only after April. Big B opens IPL with Prasoon Joshi's poem | PC makes Bhajji dance more from this section Srinivasan announces 'one-time benefit' scheme for cricketers IPL faces popularity test as India team struggles Sachin quits, Bhajji to lead Mumbai Indians Source-Hindustan Times

IPL5 set for grand start, opening ceremony begins in Chennai

It is that time of the year when cricket meets Bollywood as the Indian Premier League (IPL) razzmatazz began on Wednesday - albeit without the "feel good" factor of Indian cricket. A lot has changed in the last 12 months since India lifted the 2011 World Cup, April 2, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Since then the World Champions have struggled to keep pace with the top teams in the world. Disastrous tours of England and Australia and an early exit from the Asia Cup have robbed Indian cricket of much of its glamour. The IPL, cricket's most lucrative Twenty20 tournament, now offers the ideal break from the rigours of international cricket that had taken its toll on the Indians. This time the cash-rich Twenty20 league also wears a new look. Only nine teams feature this season, after the scrapping of Kochi Tuskers last year on charges of default payments. The opening ceremony in Chennai Tuesday is a gala affair, featuring American pop star Katy Perry, Amitabh Bachchan and a bevy of Bollywood stars. Nine teams will be playing a total of 76 matches - 16 each on home and away basis - to decide the top four, who will proceed to the four-match play-off stage. This season could be make or break for IPL, which has had its share of controversies in the last 12 months. In 2011, the television ratings fell, Kochi Tuskers were expelled after its owners failed to pay the bank guarantee and then Sahara, the owners of Pune Warriors and chief sponsor of the Indian cricket team, threatened to severe its ties with the Indian cricket board in February. IPL's newly appointed chairman Rajeev Shukla, who took over last year, attributed the dip in last year's TV ratings to "cricket fatigue". "IPL is a different tournament. Twenty20 is fun for fans, and India's performance will not have an impact on the tournament. Last year's fall in TV ratings were due to the bad timing, as the IPL was held immediately after India won the Cricket World Cup in the 50-over format. There was cricket fatigue," Shukla said last week. Shukla, who is also a union minister, said this year, however, IPL would be different. "This year is different. Besides, the IPL audience is growing in numbers every year. In 2008, we had 102.4 million TV viewers in the IPL and last year it went up to 160.2 million. We have a grand opening ceremony plus a whole range of entertainment activities lined up for IPL-V. It's going to wow the fans," he said. Curators have been asked to prepare tracks for high-scoring matches. "We have told the curators that every match should at least have a 160-run total so that the spectators can enjoy the most," Shukla added. The title sponsorship deal with realty major DLF is up for renewal after this edition and IPL has decided to splurge to keep all its sponsors happy. As the tournament starts Wednesday, the spotlight will be on Sachin Tendulkar, who last month got his 100th international century, West Indies' Chris Gayle and South African sensation Richard Levi. Tendulkar has also stepped down from the captaincy of Mumbai Indians, which will now be led by Harbhajan Singh. The feisty off-spinner also led Mumbai Indians to their title triumph in the Champions League Twenty20 last year. Fans, however, will be missing star all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, who is currently undergoing treatment for lung tumour. In the absence of Yuvraj, former India captain Sourav Ganguly will be leading the Pune Warriors. Australian captain Michael Clarke has joined the team as a cover for Yuvraj, who was man of the tournament in the World Cup. Source-Hindustan Times

I’ll play Munnabhai even when I am 80: Sanjay Dutt

Sanjay Dutt, who plays the title role in director Raju Hirani’s popular Munnabhai franchise, hopes to play the lovable don even when he turns 80. He says, “Vinod (producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra) once told me, “Tu assi saal ka ho jayega then also (even when you turn 80...), I will make related stories Sanjay Dutt's martial arts to go ‘live' Sanjay Gupta moves on without Sanjay Dutt! Sanjay Dutt dedicates SFL to dad Sunil Munnabhai with you.” Adding that he was told subsequent films might not include a romantic angle for the loveable don, Sanjay reveals, “I told Vinod, ‘let it be’. I miss Munnabhai and would love to play a ‘tapori’ (vagabond) with a conscience all my life.” The film franchise, Sanjay says, was responsible for a shift in his public image, which had taken a beating after he was arrested for illegal possession of arms in 1993. He says, “From khalnayak (villain), I became Munnabhai. A role like that comes once in a lifetime. It was not just an inspiration for others; it was a lesson for me as well.” Quiz him on whether he’s imbibed the qualities of his onscreen avatar — a goon who turns medical student to impress his father — and Sanjay says, “I understood what it means for a patient to be hugged by a doctor. A mere hug expresses so much warmth and happiness to the other person. Now, I make it a point to hug people I really like. It (Munnabhai) changed my life.” Source-Hindustan Times

Drug queen made fast buck with cocaine and girls

NEW DELHI: When cops intercepted a red Hyundai on a Rajouri Garden road, little did they realize they would stumble upon a cache of drugs worth at least Rs 3 crore. And this was just the tip of the iceberg. When the inmates of the car - a suave woman and a smooth-talking businessman - began singing in custody, a high-profile sex-drug-and-betting racket was uncovered. The kingpin, Vimal Marwah, was a teacher with a public school in Punjab who took to crime after her husband abandoned her. And she was quick to strike a deal with a drug cartel and later extended her tentacles into flesh trade and also dabbled in gambling. Within a short time, she was zipping around the city in a fleet of luxury cars and hosting sleaze parties in India and abroad. She offered a unique package to her clients - cocaine and call girls. And she was much in demand at casinos and sex hubs of Nepal and Sri Lanka. But on Saturday, her dream run came to an end, hours before she was scheduled to fly to Colombo to host a party. "We received a tip-off that the accused were passing through Rajouri Garden to deliver cocaine to a client. We first nabbed her partner, Ajay Kalra, 41. Later, we arrested Vimal and the recipient of the consignment, Arun Gupta. We seized 275 gm of cocaine. Seven passports, air tickets of Sri Lankan Airline and 2 vehicles have also been seized," said Ashok Chand, DCP crime. The cocaine was procured from a Nigerian, who is on the run, police said. During interrogation, Vimal disclosed she was earlier teaching at a public school after doing a B.Ed course. She got married to a businessman and moved to Delhi. A few years later, her husband dumped her and left for Mumbai. In 2004, she took to flesh trade was arrested two years later. Out on bail, she extended her business into drugs and gambling. "She would charge Rs 30,000 for a call girl and 1gm of cocaine, police said. "She also ran a betting syndicate during cricket matches. Her clients included top bookies of Delhi. She rented a house at Sector 28, Gurgaon and paid Rs 20,000 as rent. She also ran a beauty parlour at West Patel Nagar," said Ravi Shankar, Addl DCP, crime. Source-The Times Of India

53 women sterilized in Bihar in 2 hours

NEW DELHI: The Guinness Book of world record would have been happy to include this feat by a surgeon on January 7 in Bihar's Araria district - 53 sterilization operations on females in two hours with the help of unqualified staff in Kaparfora Government Middle School that did not have basic amenities like running water or sterilizing equipment. Instead, the Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Union and state governments on a PIL alleging similar cases being repeated in most states where female sterilization (minilap procedures) were outsourced to NGOs that take help of private doctors to conduct these surgeries in woefully unhygienic conditions. Appearing for PIL petitioner Devika Biswas, a native of Araria and a health right activist, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves told a bench of Justices R M Lodha and H L Gokhale that despite extensive guidelines issued by the apex court "inhuman sterilizations, particularly in rural areas, continue with reckless disregard for the lives of poor women" and cited the Bihar incident as a case study. "In clear violation of nearly all the guidelines, government Accredited Social Health Activist under National Rural Health Mission workers recruited between 50 and 63 below poverty line, scheduled caste and other backward class women for NGO (Jai Ambe Welfare Society) sterilization camp at Government Middle School, Kaparfora, on January 7. Neither the NGO nor the surgeon conducted pre-operative tests to determine suitability of the enlisted women for sterilization," alleged Biswas, who hails from Araria and claimed to be an eye-witness. "As a result of these operations, three women were left profusely bleeding. Another woman was operated, despite being three-month pregnant. She miscarried days after the procedure. The surgeon left immediately after operating 53 women between 8pm and 10 pm. After the surgeries, all 53 women were crying out in pain. Though they were in desperate need of medical care, no one came to assist them," she added. Throughout India, rural women are routinely dehumanized in such unsanitary sterilization camps, she said. "Reports and fact-findings from Maharashtra, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh demonstrate that standards of hygiene, consent and care are routinely ignored in sterilization camps. In all cases, poor, tribal and rural women are the victims of these unsafe and illegal practices," Biswas alleged. The PIL petitioner sought an independent inquiry by a body like National Alliance for Maternal Health and Human Rights into incidents narrated in the petition and also into the status of implementation of the guidelines passed by the apex court in Ramakant Rai vs. Union of India. She also sought a thorough probe into the January 7 sterilization camp incident at Kaparfora School and action against the delinquents. Source-The Times Of India

Lakhisarai killing a story of love, sex aur dhokha?

LAKHISARAI: It was a case of "love, sex and dhokha" which Dhanbad's Naresh Barnwal sought to project as one of gang rape and murder of wife Suman by road robbers. That's what the police say after arresting Naresh, his wife's cousin Khushboo and one Basant Singh in connection with the killing of Suman, under Halsi police station area near Jamui, on Sunday evening. Naresh allegedly gave "supari", or contract, to kill Suman over a year ago because his wife opposed his extra-marital relationship with Khushboo, a Part II student in Gaya, the place Naresh's in-laws hail from. According to the police, Naresh's affair with Khushboo began when she went to Dhanbad to look after Suman during her pregnancy, a year after her marriage four years ago. The relationship turned so passionate that he would even financially help Khushboo's family as her father, the sole earning member, was a lowly-paid worker in a private firm. Naresh even consumed sleeping pills when Khushboo broke up with him once because of tensions between her family and Suman's kinsmen. It was after this incident that the matter of marriage cropped up between the two and the contract killers were assigned the dirty job of removing the stumbling block in the way of their "wish to live together". Naresh and his family were at Jamui at the house of Suman's "mausi", or mother's sister, in January last year when Naresh planned to visit Khushboo in Gaya on her birthday on January 29. But Suman played the spoilsport, and they could leave Jamui on January 30. The "supari" killers were waiting in the wings and even swung into action, but they targeted a wrong vehicle and could not execute the killing because of heavy police presence on the Jamui-Gaya Road. Suman finally was killed. Both Naresh and Khushboo are in judicial custody now. Besides a married man's lust for another woman, the police furnish the following to support their version of the case: 1. Not only did Naresh delay their departure from Rajgir for Jamui, he drove slowly and stopped the vehicle a couple of times to walk a little away and speak to the criminals over phone. 2. Though six-seven criminals are alleged to have intercepted Naresh's Zen, only two frail felons forced their entry into the vehicle. One sat beside Naresh's brother-in-law Rajesh in the front, the other with the women - Suman and Rajesh's wife - in the rear seat. Naresh was left free to drive as they looted the vehicle occupants. Had Naresh, who is pretty well built, wished, he could have thrown out the two criminals and sped away. 3. When Suman was singled out by one of the two criminals to be dragged by her hair, "well-built" Naresh didn't even pretend to rescue her. He lied that she was taken far away and shot after half-an-hour or so. The criminals shot her a couple of minutes later in full view of Naresh and others a few metres away. 4. Naresh was an insurance agent, moonlighted as a moneylender and kept the company of petty criminals. 5. Some of the criminals of Jamui-Lakhisarai fled the district earlier. Naresh contacted two of them in Dhanbad but they insisted on killing his wife in their native area because they were familiar and comfortable with the geography. 6. Police are not surprised why the "killer" (Naresh) carried with him a hostile witness (Rajesh) to the spot of crime. It was a calculated move to prevent suspicion against him. That the move boomeranged as Rajesh smelt foul play is a different story. 7. Asked how credible is the claim that Rs 30,000 had been paid to the killers and Rs 40,000 was to be paid on the spot after the crime (in front of the victim's brother!), police say that's only a statement made by Naresh. It is yet to be investigated. For that matter, police are also investigating Khushboo's statement that Rs 2.5 lakh was paid to the killers. 8. Asked why mediamen were not being allowed to meet Naresh and Khushboo, the police say one needs permission from the court to interview them since they are in judicial custody. 9. Asked if call details were procured to substantiate the charge that Naresh was in touch with the criminals, the police say they are on the job. Source-The Times Of India

Amul milk to cost Rs 2 per litre more

AHMEDABAD: Milk prices are set to soar yet again. Rising inflation and increase in excise duty on packaging material for milk pouches are likely to make milk dearer by Rs 2 per litre, said R S Sodhi, managing director of Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets Amul milk across the country. While he did not say when the price hike will come into effect, sources said it could happen over the next couple of months. GCMMF sells 80 lakh litres of fresh pouched milk everyday. The remuneration to farmers, who supply milk to the federation, has gone up 50 per cent over the last three years. "We need to compensate the farmers in times of rising costs and inflation. Although the hike will not be too steep, consumers will still have to share the burden," said Sodhi at a function to launch Amul's whey protein malt beverage for children in Ahmedabad. Consumers are already paying 11% more than what they were paying last year. "Last year the procurement price was increased by 11 per cent, while this year we will give 14-15 per cent more prices to farmers," said Sodhi. GCMMF plans to increase prices by 5-7 % in 2012-13. GCMMF has already increased the price of buttermilk by Re 1 per litre in Gujarat from Sunday. Milk prices increased twice during 2011 in Gujarat. GCMMF first hiked prices of standard and double toned milk by Rs 2 and Re 1 per litre, respectively, in April 2011. Three months later, the rates were revised again. The price hike in July 2011 was the 14th price hike introduced by GCMMF since 2006. After the price revision, consumers started paying Rs 36 per litre for Amul Gold whereas Amul Shakti cost Rs 33 per litre. Even Amul Slim & Trim now cost Rs 25 per litre for consumers. GCMMF is planning an investment of Rs 3,000 crore over the next five years towards capacity enhancement and new product development. Source-The Times Of India

Woman raped by goons she hired to kill husband

POLBA (HOOGHLY): Police have dug up a fact more bizarre than fiction in the gangrape of a 39-year-old woman in Hooghly's Polba, 60km from Kolkata. Investigators say she was raped by the killers she had hired with the help of her lover to murder her husband. The lover, Zico Pal alias Potla, is a rich, married farmer 14 years younger to the woman. He wept inconsolably in the police station as he narrated how he tried to stop the killers from raping her, sources said. But the gang tied him up and went on raping the woman. The four killers had been hired by Potla from Belgharia on the city's fringes, Baranagar and Bandel, police said. He and the woman have confessed to the crime. The lovers and the killers have been arrested. Police grew suspicious of the woman because she seemed reluctant to file a complaint of rape although a medical examination had confirmed sexual assault. Her FIR mentioned only dacoity and murder. It was her 14-year- old son, Kushal, who told the villagers she had been raped. She added a rape complaint at their insistence. The incident occurred around midnight on March 28 in Patna village of Polba. The woman's 50-year-old husband, Krishna Chandra Mal, a wealthy potato farmer, was attacked in his courtyard when he got up to go to the bathroom. The robbers slit Mal's throat and stabbed him repeatedly before they ransacked the house to make it look like a dacoity. They tied and gagged his wife and son. But before leaving with the loot, they took turns sexually assaulting the woman. Potla has admitted he had led the way to Mal's house and was present during the incident, police said. He had not told the gang of his involvement with the woman and was shocked when they decided to rape her before leaving the house. He tried to stop them but in vain. It was Kushal who managed to free himself and alert neighbours. Source- The Times Of India

Pune sign Clarke as Yuvi replacement

It was only yesterday that Michael Clarke made HT's list of five talents whom we wished were here, and now, our wishes have come true. Take a bow Subrata Roy, even Santa Claus doesn't work this quick. The Australia captain inked a deal with the Sahara Pune Warriors as Yuvraj Singh's replacement on Thursday. After resisting the lure of the IPL for four seasons, the newest member of the Test triple centurion club finally hopped aboard this gravy train. His inclusion means the franchise will have a back-up captain in case skipper Sourav Ganguly has one of those niggles that are normally associated with soon-to-be-40 cricketers' comeback attempts. "Clarke was exceptional in the recent Test series against India, as batsman and captain. He is a very popular cricketer in India, and followers of the sport are eagerly looking forward to his participation this season," said IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said. Source-The Hindusta Times

More trouble for Ryder ahead of IPL

Troubled New Zealand player Jesse Ryder's attempt to return to cricket ahead of the IPL turned out to be a stormy affair as he got into an altercation with a rival player during a club game and was reported for indiscipline. "Jesse Ryder has been charged with breaching Cricket Wellington's code of conduct, following an incident during a club match on Saturday," the media here reported. Ryder, who will represent Pune Warriors in the IPL, was playing his first match after taking a sabbatical from the game due to his drinking problems. The altercation happened during an appearance for his Naenae Old Boys' club. "Ryder reacted angrily to a comment made to him by Wellington team-mate Harry Boam, who was playing for Karori, and the pair had to be separated by umpire Stu Bullen," a report said. Ryder left for India on Monday, a day later than originally scheduled. Source-The Hindusta Times

Sachin quits, Bhajji to lead Mumbai Indians

Sachin Tendulkar relinquished the captaincy of Mumbai Indians on Monday and handed over charge to Harbhajan Singh, who led the side to the Champions League Twenty20 crown last season when the master batsman was injured. Though Tendulkar, being the icon player, has been MI captain related stories Tendulkar will be available for entire IPL: MI Fifth IPL looks to put troubles behind it since the league's inception, he missed out on half of MI's matches in the first edition due to a right groin injury. And then during the victorious CLT20 campaign last year, Harbhajan, who led in the first three matches in the inaugural edition of the IPL, replaced Tendulkar at the helm. "At this point of time, I feel I need a break from the responsibility of captaincy of the Mumbai Indians. After due consideration, I discussed my intention to hand over the captaincy to Harbhajan with the MI management. Harbhajan will have my whole-hearted support as the senior most player in the team," Tendulkar said in a MI statement. IPL schedule 2012 There was some doubt whether Tendulkar would play in the IPL after he dashed to London to see a specialist for his right big toe problem, but an MI spokesperson clarified there was no doubt over his availability for the entire season. Harbhajan said, "Sachin spoke to me about his decision. It is a huge honour and I thank him and the management for the faith reposed in my abilities. Mumbai Indians is a great team with explosive talent and promising youngsters. I am committed to do the very best and look forward to leading the team to play to its full potential during the season." Mumbai Indians play hosts CSK on Wednesday.more from this section Source-The Hindusta Times

Sher-E-Punjab rout Pune Strykers to clinch inaugural World Series Hockey crown

MUMBAI: Sher-E-Punjab on Monday night justified their top billing by coming from a goal down to trounce Pune Strykers 5-2 to lift the inaugural World Series Hockey crown in front of a packed gathering at the MHA-Mahindra Stadium. Stunned by an early field goal scored from what looked to be an impossible angle by Strykers' Tyron Pereira, Sher-E-Punjab players fought back in brilliant style through their experienced campaigners and ex-internationals Deepak Thakur and Prabhjot Singh, the captain who scored twice. The Punjab goal scorers, who soaked up the pressure of their younger and speedier rivals very well in the first half and led 2-1, were VS Vinaya (6th minute), Thakur (33rd), Prabhjot (47th and 66th minutes) and Harpreet Singh (57th). Simrandeep Randhawa notched a consolation penalty corner goal for the losing team in the last minute of the summit clash to reduce the margin of defeat. While the first half saw an evenly contested game, the Punjab team totally took control of the proceedings in the latter half to emerge convincing winners of the first edition of the eight-team tournament that began on February 29. The winners received Rs 4 crore and the runners-up Rs 2 crore. The losing semifinalists - Chandigarh Comets and Karnataka Lions - got Rs one crore each. Strykes, who had come back from the brink of defeat in the semifinal against Chandigarh Comets last night, started the match in brilliant fashion by making the first foray deep into the rival half and got a splendid goal in the process. Tyron Pereira scooped over all the defenders and custodian Sukhjit Singh into the goal from a very acute angle on the right, with no one expecting such a shot to give the Strykers the early lead in the 4th minute. However, the advantage for Pune was short-lived as the Punjab outfit restored parity in the very next minute from their first penalty corner award taken in an indirect manner, with VS Vinaya finding the mark to the left of a flummoxed Strykers goalie Gurpreet Singh Guri. Source-The Times Of India