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P7 Community Two students from Northwestern University in Qatar will have the opportunity this summer to further their research. Community Art Deco cinema in eastern Germany keeps its plush while updating for the modern age. P20 Monday, June 13, 2016 Ramadan 8, 1437 AH DOHA 33°C—42°C TODAY LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE 13 PUZZLES 14 & 15 On the Zika trail COVER STORY BONDING: Evellyn Mendes Santos, 9, kisses her baby sister, Heloyse, outside of their home in Joao Pessoa, Brazil. Their mother, Maria da Luz Mendes Santos, said it was her “biggest dream” to have two daughters. It has reached 60 countries and territories, but there’s much that the scientists still don’t know about the crippling virus. P4-5 2 GULF TIMES Monday, June 13, 2016 COMMUNITY ROUND & ABOUT Love Me Tomorrow GENRE: Comedy, Romance CAST: Piolo Pascual, Coleen Garcia, Dawn Zulueta DIRECTION: Gino M Santos SYNOPSIS: A generational love story about a DJ, a conflicted millennial woman, and a woman who is described to be ‘on the verge of renaissance’. They will be caught in a love triangle that will spark thoughts on one-night stands, May-December affairs and other aspects of life. Love Me Tomorrow is a timely and empowering film that celebrates the enduring power of true love. PRAYER TIME Fajr Shorooq (sunrise) Zuhr (noon) Asr (afternoon) Maghreb (sunset) Isha (night) 3.14am 4.43am 11.34am 2.57pm 6.28pm 7.58pm USEFUL NUMBERS THEATRES: The Mall, Royal Plaza Emergency 999 Worldwide Emergency Number 112 Kahramaa – Electricity and Water 991 Local Directory 180 International Calls Enquires 150 Hamad International Airport 40106666 Labor Department 44508111, 44406537 Mowasalat Taxi 44588888 Qatar Airways 44496000 Hamad Medical Corporation 44392222, 44393333 Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation 44845555, 44845464 Primary Health Care Corporation 44593333 44593363 Qatar Assistive Technology Centre 44594050 Qatar News Agency 44450205 44450333 Q-Post – General Postal Corporation 44464444 Humanitarian Services Office (Single window facility for the repatriation of bodies) Ministry of Interior 40253371, 40253372, 40253369 Ministry of Health 40253370, 40253364 Hamad Medical Corporation 40253368, 40253365 Qatar Airways 40253374 ote Unquote u Q Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance. X-Men: Apocalypse GENRE: Action, Animation CAST: James Mcavoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence DIRECTION: Clay Kaytis, Fergal Reilly SYNOPSIS: With the emergence of the world’s first mutant, Apocalypse, the X-Men must unite to defeat his extinction level plan. En Sabah Nur, a powerful being believed to be the first mutant on Earth, rules over ancient Egypt until he is betrayed by a rebellion. His four lieutenants die, using their powers to safeguard him. Awakened in 1983 by chance, he observes the new world and believes that humanity has lost its way without his presence. THEATRE: Royal Plaza — Khalil Gibran Community Editor Kamran Rehmat e-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 44466405 Fax: 44350474 Mall Cinema (1): Te3n (Hindi) 3pm; Love Me Tomorrow (2D) 8.45pm; Te3n (Hindi) 11pm. Mall Cinema (2): Angry Birds Movie (2D) 2.30pm; Frog Kingdom (2D) 4.15 & 9pm; X-Men Apocalypse (2D) 10.45pm. Mall Cinema (3): House Full 3 (Hindi) 2.30pm; Un Homme A La Hauter “Up For Love” (2D) 9pm; Warcraft (2D) 10.30pm. Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (1): Frog Kingdom (2D) 2.30pm; Angry Birds Movie (2D) 4.15pm; Love Me Tomorrow (2D) 8.30pm; Te3n (Hindi) 11pm. Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (2): Te3n (Hindi) 2.30pm; Frog Kingdom (2D) 8.45pm; Warcraft (2D) 10.45pm. Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (3): House Full 3 (2D) 3pm; Un Homme A La Hauter “Up For Love” (2D) 8.30pm; X-Men Apocalypse (2D) 10.30pm. Asian Town Cinema: Iraivil (Tamil) 8pm; King Liar (Malayalam) 10.30pm; A. Aa (Telugu) 7.30pm; Te3n (Hindi) 7.30 & 11pm; Housefull 3 (Hindi) 7.45 & 10.45pm. Monday, June 13, 2016 Chinese Food Culture Festival DATE: June 30-July 9 TIME: 8pm- 12pm VENUE: Barwa Commercial Avenue Want to taste Chinese food? Want to watch breath taking Chinese performances? Well now you can enjoy the authentic taste and watch wonderful Chinese performances at the Dragon Mart China Mall. Bringing you 10 days of food festivities. Barwa Commercial Avenue, opposite Al Watan petrol station from June 30 to July 9, from 8pm-12pm. Ramadan Nights @ Aqua Park TIME: 8pm — 2am VENUE: Aqua Park With a special month, comes a special treat from Qatar’s number 1 theme park – Aqua Park. Come spend the beautiful Ramadan nights at Aqua Park and get to also view the 2016 matches on a giant screen. Join other football fans and enjoy the UEFA Euro 2016 feeling in France right here in Qatar. Let the fun & excitement begin! Blood and Arteries exhibition DATE: Tomorrow-July 11 TIME: 9am-11:55pm VENUE: Katara, Bldg 18 Creative 4D Exhibition on blood and arteries with verses from the Qur’an and a free blood test. Katara Beach Volleyball Championship DATE: Until June 25 TIME: 9pm- 11:55pm VENUE: Katara Beach Katara announces the launch of Katara Beach Volleyball Tournament 2016 in Ramadan on Katara beach volleyball court. Participants are welcome from all nationalities provided they weren’t in the records of the Qatari Volleyball Association for the season of 2015 – 2016. Find your treasure competition DATE: Until July 1 TIME: 8pm-11pm VENUE: Katara You might be amongst the winners by participating in the competition every Thursday and Friday after the Tarawih prayers and look for the treasure box to win the QR2,500. You are kindly requested, once you find the box, to go to the kiosk opposite building 15 to know if you’re the lucky winner. Mathaf Education Summer Program DATE: June 19-20 TIME: 10am VENUE: Museum of Modern Art When school ends, fun begins at Mathaf! Bring your favourite character to life. Ages 8-11 years old. June 19-20, from 10am – 12noon. Participants explore different characters found in artworks from the Mathaf’s collection; and learn different techniques of 3D modelling to bring their favourite characters to life and to create their own stories. Qur’an Memorisation DATE: Until June 23 TIME: 10am-11:30am VENUE: Katara Masjid Stemming from its keenness to raise the young generation and enforce their bond with their Islamic identity and principles of their true religion, the Cultural Village Foundation-Katara announces the organisation of its fourth consecutive edition of the Qur’an Memorisation Sessions, during the holy month of Ramadan. 3 COMMUNITY ROUND & ABOUT EVENTS GULF TIMES Summer Camp & Clinic DATE: July 3-14 TIME: 9am VENUE: Al Waab, Al Bustan, Doha The camps & clinics are a fantastic opportunity to maintain contact time with your coach, whether that is soccer, basketball or multi-sports. Come along, learn new skills and meet new friends who have the same passion and desire for the game as you do. Karting & Mini Moto Track DATE: Until July 1 TIME: 6:30pm VENUE: Losail International Circuit The Karting and Mini Moto Track will be open every Thursday and Friday until July 1 after which the track will close until further notice. QR100 per session of 15 minutes. Helmet mask QR15 – not refundable. Dance Classes with Salsa n Candela VENUE: Hilton Hotel-West Bay Salsa n Candela offers variety of dance classes for kids and adults at Hilton Hotel, Eforea Spa Studio, such as Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, Swing, Tango and Greek classes. Price at QR60 per class per person. Shifting Sands DATE: Until July 7 VENUE: Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Museum, Alsamariyah MA students of UCL Qatar are organising and curating an exhibition as part of UCLQurates. In the very recent past, Qatar has undergone a significant transformation; through these developments, people have had to adapt to the changing landscape in which they live. Let’s meet and learn some moves every Monday night. You don’t need to do anything, just join us. Level 1 (intermediate level) 7pm and for beginner level 8pm. Be there at Raddison Blu Hotel Cabana Club. QSports Summer Camp DATE: June 19-Sept 1 TIME: 8am-1pm VENUE: Al Jazeera Academy Registration for QSports Summer Camp 2016 is now open. QSports summer camps are committed to providing a safe, fun and skill-based experience for kids between the ages of four and 14. We have a dedicated team of specialist kid’s coaches and classes and activities are safe, planned, progressive, active, creative, inclusive and designed to maximise participation of all children by offering a variety of activities. Spring Exhibition MIA DATE: Until July 16 TIME: 10:30am- 5pm VENUE: QM Gallery Al Riwaq An exhibition of 15 contemporary Chinese artists, curated by internationally acclaimed New York-based Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang, is on view at the QM Gallery Al Riwaq. The exhibition is the major highlight presented in the context of the Qatar China 2016 Year of Culture. Artworks exemplifying each and every artist’s unique artistic language and methodology are displayed in individual galleries. Al Gannas DATE: Until Oct 30 TIME: 9am -11:30am VENUE: Al Gannas Society Al Gannas Association is participating in the ‘Our culture is a school’ programme by organising many activities for the students every Monday and Wednesday of the week. These activities include explanations on hunting and related tools, kinds of falcons and preys, in addition to workshop on how to carry a falcon, set a traditional tent (made of goat & camel hair), prepare traditional Arabic coffee, etc. Qatari Agricultural Product Yards DATE: Until June 30 VENUE: Al Mazrooa, Al Zakheera, Al Khor, Al Wakrah The Ministry of Environment has opened the 4th season of Qatari agricultural product yards for selling locally produced fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish and livestock. Work in these yards will continue for seven months. The yards will operate three days a week on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 7am to 5pm, with livestock vendors in Al Mazrooa operating at the same times throughout the week. Sunset Kayaking DATE: June 17-25 TIME: 4pm VENUE: Al Thakhira This is a tour designed for the holy month of Ramadan. Enjoy a great sunset paddling in the beautiful mangroves of Al Thakhira. After Kayaking, we head back to the beach and go for a potluck Iftar where people share their food! There will be a BBQ set up as well. Join in our Walk-in Weekends DATE: Every Saturday VENUE: MIA Atrium MIA art education and calligraphy teams offer walk-in workshops in MIA’s atrium every Saturday. These walk-in workshops are for open for all family members. Beach Football Championship DATE: Until June 25 TIME: 9pm-11:55pm VENUE: Katara Al-Frjan committee for football tournaments in Aspire announces the launch of the Sixth Edition for Katara Beach Football Championship 2016 in Ramadan on Katara beach football pitch. FOODIE CHOICE Yamativo Salsa Classes DATE: Every Monday TIME: 7pm VENUE: Radisson Blu It’s always fun and always challenging. RESTAURANT: Light House Restaurant LOCATION: Grand Regal Hotel, Doha Located on the top floor, an elegant allday dining restaurant serves international buffet daily. Here you can savour a wide choice of culinary delights and enjoy spectacular views across West Bay, the city and beyond. Compiled by Nausheen Shaikh. E-mail: [email protected], Events and timings subject to change 4 GULF TIMES Monday, June 13, 2016 COMMUNITY COVER STORY Chasing an epidemic Zika has now reached 60 countries and territories, including large swaths of the Americas and almost no-one has the immunity that has developed in parts of Africa and Asia, writes Alexandra Zavis A MOTHER’S LOVE: “She’s everything in my life. It doesn’t matter what she has, for me, it’s nothing,” Maria da Luz Mendes Santos says about her daughter, Heloyse, who was born with microcephaly. “She brought a lot of happiness to my family.” I n a place where the bite of a common mosquito has brought crippling birth defects and early death, they are the detectives sent to gather clues about the crime. The four women have been plying the back roads of northeastern Brazil for days. Their quarry: new mothers who may have been infected with the Zika virus during their pregnancies. Conceicao Alcantara, a 34-yearold woman who’d given birth the month before, was on their list. Her daughter was born with microcephaly, a serious condition that afflicts some babies whose mothers have been exposed to the virus, leaving them with an abnormally small skull, and often an underdeveloped brain. Alcantara had been reluctant to speak to the investigators — an American paediatrician, and two nurses and a phlebotomist from Brazil. She didn’t want her tiny daughter turned into a public curiosity, she said. As a physiotherapist herself who’d worked with microcephalic babies, she already knew the condition’s devastating potential impact: seizures, learning disabilities, problems with speech, vision, hearing and motor function, and for some, a shortened life span. Were these researchers going to accomplish anything? A local health worker agreed to bring the team to Alcantara’s house to see if she might be persuaded. The health worker guided the group’s small Fiat down narrow, cobblestone streets to a cream-coloured house behind a forbidding metal gate. Marcia de Andrade, one of the nurses on the team, banged on the gate while the others stayed in the car. The gate opened a crack, and De Andrade disappeared inside. She was gone nearly an hour. Finally, the gate opened again, and De Andrade motioned for the rest of the team to come inside. There is now strong scientific consensus that Zika, which for decades was thought to be relatively harmless and often has no symptoms, can cause microcephaly and other serious neurological damage. But there is much that scientists still don’t know. Why are only some babies whose mothers were infected during pregnancy affected, while others are not? How high is the risk? Is exposure more dangerous in certain trimesters? Are there other factors that increase the chances that Zika will cause birth defects? The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in February dispatched researchers to Brazil, which has seen an increase in microcephaly cases unparalleled elsewhere in the world, to help unravel the mystery. Over the next month, the team in the Fiat and seven others like it fanned out across the northeastern state of Paraiba, logging thousands of miles down undulating country roads and narrow alleyways. Zika has now reached 60 countries and territories, including large swaths of the Americas where there is an abundance of the Aedes aegypti mosquito that spread the virus — and almost no-one has the immunity that has developed in parts of Africa and Asia. In the United States and its territories, 279 pregnant women have tested positive for likely exposure, federal health officials recently announced. As of May 25, Brazilian health authorities had confirmed 1,434 births since October with malformations that may be Zikarelated and were investigating thousands of others. Zika is believed to have arrived in Brazil in 2014, most likely brought in by a traveller from the Pacific Islands. The increase in microcephaly cases began in August in the state of Pernambuco, just south of Paraiba. Genetic disorders, certain viruses and other known causes of Monday, June 13, 2016 GULF TIMES 5 COMMUNITY COVER STORY There is much that scientists still don’t know. Why are only some babies whose mothers were infected during pregnancy affected, while others are not? How high is the risk? Is exposure more dangerous in certain trimesters? Are there other factors that increase the chances that Zika will cause birth defects? REPORT CARD: After taking the measurement of a child’s head who has microcephaly, Dr Megumi Itoh, an epidemic intelligence officer with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), centre, shows mother Sabrina Mateus, 17, where her baby’s head measurement of 34.2 cm falls on a growth chart — well below the 1/3 percentile of babies that age. Sabrina Mateus and her baby took part in the CDC and Brazil’s Ministry of Health case-control study investigating the association between women having the Zika virus when they are pregnant, and the effects they are seeing of microcephaly in babies. microcephaly did not seem to be an issue in these cases. Something else was going on, and Alcantara’s pregnancy became a key piece of the puzzle. Her obstetrician had noticed during an ultrasound that the fetus’s head was not developing normally, and then heard of the cases of microcephaly in nearby Pernambuco. Those cases, doctors were beginning to suspect, might be linked to Zika. Many of the women had experienced a rash typical of the virus early in their pregnancies — did Alcantara remember having a rash? She did. Her doctor found a lab that could test for Zika in her amniotic fluid, and it was positive. The finding was a breakthrough — some of the first biological evidence connecting the virus to microcephaly. “Never before in history has there been a situation where a bite from a mosquito could result in a devastating malformation,” said Dr Thomas Frieden, the CDC director. Over the coming months, the evidence favouring a Zika connection mounted. Other countries with outbreaks started reporting cases of microcephaly. Brain tissue collected from still births tested positive for the virus, as did spinal fluid from babies with microcephaly. In Paraiba, the detectives started with a list of more than 800 reported cases of microcephaly in the region, which they winnowed to a sample of 190. They focused on severe cases, based on the head’s circumference at birth — 32 centimetres for boys and 31.5 centimetres for girls — as well as its size relative to body length. Just 3 percent of newborns have heads that small. For each mother who agreed to take part, the researchers wanted to enrol, as a control, three others whose babies were born at around the same time and in the same place but who did not have microcephaly. Dr Megumi Itoh, the San Francisco paediatrician who was on the team with De Andrade, worried how families would respond to strangers showing up at their homes, asking intimate questions and taking blood samples. The researchers had a bigger challenge first: finding them. The mothers were spread across nearly 22,000 square miles, from the densely populated coast to the hinterlands of the interior. The teams set out in the state capital, Joao Pessoa, often with little more than a name and a neighbourhood. They went from clinic to clinic searching for more information. “We would literally go in and say, ‘Do you know this mom?’” Itoh said. When the teams located an address, the mother might not be home. “We were going in circles.” They needed a better strategy. In Sao Vicente do Serido, an elderly shopkeeper pointed the researchers toward the municipal health secretariat on a cobblestone street of houses painted pastel yellow, blue and green. The town recently had its first case of microcephaly, and expectant mothers were desperate to know if their babies might also be at risk. “It is so good to have you,” said Constanca Goncalves, a primary care co-ordinator, as she led the team into an office. The researchers sorted through reams of paperwork and used a pink pillow to turn a cabinet into an examination table. STUDY: Marcilia Souza, left, with the Center de Patologia e Analises Clincicas (CEPAC) in Campina Grande, works with Veronica Dantas, right, a lab technician who is part of the team of workers with the CDC and Brazil’s Ministry of Health conducting a study on the effects of the Zika virus in Campina Grande, Brazil. Two mothers were waiting to see them, while another hadn’t shown up yet. All had healthy babies and were there to serve as control cases. A shy mother in shorts and a tank top entered the room cradling a sleeping baby girl. But there was a problem. The mother, Maria Girdielly, was 17. They needed a parent’s consent to enrol the pair in the study. Goncalves pulled up a number on her cellphone and dialled the girl’s mother. She was busy making lunch for her employer. “Can you just come sign the paperwork?” Goncalves pleaded. “We will come in a car to get you and bring you right back.” The Fiat was dispatched, and 10 minutes later Maria’s mother, Creusa dos Santos, walked into the room. She looked nervous. “You have a chance to help a lot of other mothers,” De Andrade said. The woman signed the forms. In the afternoon, they visited a clinic in Juazeirinho, the town where they would meet Alcantara the next day. Waiting for them was Sabrina Mateus, her mother and her 2-month-old son, who was born with microcephaly. After measuring the infant’s head, Itoh took photographs to document its shape and proportions. De Andrade assured the 17-yearold mother that they would not be shared on social media networks — a worry in a country where curiosity about the condition has meant that its victims are sometimes treated like characters in a national freak show. The baby screamed as another team member drew a sample of his blood, then one from his mother. An antibody test would indicate whether they had been exposed to the virus. Did she experience any rashes during her pregnancy, De Andrade asked the mother. Any fever? Headaches? Joint pain? Red eyes? She shook her head no. Had she had any other infections? Was she exposed to pesticides? Did she drink? No. De Andrade wrote down each answer on a standardised form. The questions continued for half an hour. Many Brazilians remain doubtful that the surge in microcephaly can be traced to Zika. Various other theories have gained popular currency. Some want to blame the epidemic on expired vaccines; others on a British biotech firm that has been releasing genetically modified mosquitoes to combat dengue fever, or a larvicide used by the government to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in standing water. Government officials hope the study will provide a definitive answer. In the end, 600 mothers agreed to participate in the research. A preliminary analysis was not surprising: Mothers whose babies have microcephaly were more likely than other women to have experienced symptoms during pregnancy that could be caused by Zika. There were no other obvious explanations for the epidemic. —Los Angeles Times/TNS NOTES: A notebook belonging to Meg Itoh, an epidemic intelligence officer with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), used for tracking patients they have seen and are going to see, as part of the CDC and Brazil’s case-control study investigating if there is an association between women having the Zika virus when they are pregnant, and the effects they are seeing of microcephaly in their babies. 6 GULF TIMES Monday, June 13, 2016 COMMUNITY Gymnastics and construction ... it’s all in the balance By Jon Sanderson and Matthew Schofield of Quantum Global Solutions Qatar Like gymnastics, a construction project needs strong foundations. It may not get scores out of 10 for performance but the contractor still requires to have great safety records, meet quality standards and ensure that all the stakeholders are engaged. Photos by Nigel Downes I n April we discussed whether we were ‘Hunters or Jumpers?’ Describing how a fantastic sport of equestrian can be compared to construction projects and aligning ourselves with the equestrian term ‘Jumpers’ in which obstacles are put in front of us, whether on the project or on the course; and although at the outset we may not know what these are, we formulate risk strategies and plans, to deal with, and progress through them in an pre-determined timescale, trying not to clip a hurdle or deviate from the contract. Recently Qatar hosted the 9th Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Series at the Aspire Dome; this world event precedes the Olympic Games 2016 in Brazil and more than 100 gymnasts from 33 countries showcased their unbelievable skills in a fantastic competition. I imagine you are now scratching your heads and thinking, come on … how can … in what way … really … gymnastics and construction … what do they have in common …? After aligning equestrian and construction, surely gymnastics and construction will struggle. Well a construction project needs strong foundations, a contract, leaders and managers with a strong team built around a detailed organisation chart, and of course a strong belief the project I imagine you are now scratching your heads and thinking, come on ... how can ... in what way ... really ... gymnastics and construction ... what do they have in common ...? will succeed. So too gymnastics — if you ever watch the different disciplines, whether it be on the floor or the apparatus, all gymnasts have a strong, solid foundation to start their routine. The actual start of any routine requires a base to leap or propel into the air or to ensure there run up is in proportion and at the right speed and velocity to provide the correct execution. The same for the project — that base going forward will always determine the right or wrong behaviours for the project. Gymnastics is a sport involving the performance of exercises requiring strength, flexibility, balance and control and as with most sports, there are judges, umpires and referees and for gymnastics the rules and scoring are as rigorous as ever. Whether it is an arm out of place, a step back on dismount or a fall from the pommel horse, scoring can be detrimental if the rules and performance are not perfect. A construction project may not get scores out of 10 for performance or lose points through the project, but the contractor still requires to have great safety records such as no injuries and no Lost Time Injuries (LTI’s), maintain quality control whether it is material ordering or completing correct welds, which means the contractor has to be flexible, have a good understanding of the balance required to deal with their workers, the sequence of work and making sure all stakeholders are engaged with. One of the main areas for a construction project is control and this has to be the area that most construction projects fail on, not that Jon and I are bias in regards to this area, but because many project teams and client are dismayed by the term ‘control’, as they mistakenly equate it with the concept of authority and the spies are watching us. Gymnasts feel the same, the way a gymnast holds his position on the still rings or how she throws their ball or ring into the air, with control and grace before completing the move, shows that control is not about telling people what to do, or dictating actions or thoughts or even trying to force them to behave in a certain way, the term ‘control’ is comparable in certain respects to steering a ship. It is about how a course may be adjusted without losing sight of the main objective. This is the same if the gymnast falls off the balance beam, the routine needs to be adjusted but the objective remains. Hopefully the gymnast completes the routine without falling or having a bad dismount and the same can be said for the project — procurement is delayed, approvals take longer than expected, but hopefully the project will be on time and on cost and above all provide the quality the contractor wants to deliver and what the client expects to have. But above all the objectives and goals remain the same and if the ship has to change direction, controls are in place so adjustments can be made to get back on the right path. Monday, June 13, 2016 GULF TIMES 7 COMMUNITY NU-Q Dean and CEO Everette E Dennis says the university “considers skills to be an important part of its students’ academic education.” Two NU-Q students to research on British-Pakistani identity T wo students from Northwestern University in Qatar will have the opportunity this summer to further their research thanks to grants provided by the university. Northwestern’s Office for Undergraduate Research and the Buffet Institute have provided Basmah Azmi and Meher Matab financial support to fund their research project on Pakistani identity, which will be conducted in London. Mehtab and Azmi, students in NU-Q’s journalism programme, plan to use the grants to research the cultural assimilation of Pakistani migrants in the United Shantiniketan Indian School marks World Environment Day The Shantiniketan Indian School celebrated the World Environment Day recently. Students of Class VII in the International Stream and SIS Eco Club members actively participated in the programme. Principal Dr Subhash B Nair, Vice-Principal (Academics) Shihabudeen Pullath, Vice Principal (CBSE-i) Dudley O’Connor, Science Department Head Tono Fernandez, teachers and the students planted sapling at the school campus. A drawing competition was also organised. Lamiya and Fatima emerged as winners. Kingdom and its implications on identity. “Northwestern considers research skills to be an important part of its students’ academic education,” said Everette E Dennis, dean and CEO, “To support these initiatives we are committed to assisting students in connecting them to the resources necessary to follow their research interests.” The grants will allow Mehtab and Azmi to travel to Great Britain to conduct qualitative-research on generations of British-Pakistanis who have lived in the UK since the country’s separation from India in 1945. Research opportunities that are available to Northwestern students in Evanston are also offered to NU-Q students, which was revealed to the two students following a meeting with the director of undergraduate research who visited Doha earlier this year. “We realised at that meeting that all the opportunities that are available to the students in Evanston are available to us,” Mehtab said. Their research process started with the simple idea of identity and its fluid nature. The students say that they were fascinated by the very concept of how strong cultural identity can be for diaspora. “We found that Pakistanis who migrated right after the IndiaPakistan partition and had no real sense about Pakistan as a country, would clearly identify themselves as British-Pakistanis,” Mehtab said. “We wanted to understand what it meant to be British-Pakistani,” she said. Mehtab and Azmi say that their curiosity about cultural assimilation stems from the current European migrant crisis. “We are curious about what it means to hold on to two cultural identities at the same time,” Azmi said. The students competed with 322 applications for the grant from the undergraduate research office and attributed their success to the guidance they received from NU-Q faculty Ibrahim Abusharif and Christopher Sparshott. “They asked us questions that helped us think deeply about how our experiences and knowledge could give us an edge in the competition,” Azmi said. Meher and Azmi are Pakistani and speak Urdu, which will allow them to conduct the oral-history project in the local language, which they consider to be most comfortable for their subjects. “Cultural assimilation can’t be based on or statistics or facts you find in a book, it’s an experience — and we want to study and present it as that,” Mehtab said. Mehtab and Azmi will spend two-months conducting interviews and capturing the everyday experiences of British-Pakistanis; their findings will be presented on an interactive website when they complete their research. 8 GULF TIMES Monday, June 13, 2016 COMMUNITY Anti Smoking Society Qatar marks World Environment Day The Anti Smoking Society Qatar launched a campaign aimed at educating various aspects of environmental protection to mark the World Environment Day recently. The celebrations got off to a flying start at the Ideal Indian School, with hundreds of students and parents joining the environmental parade. Mohammed Unni Olakara, global chairman of the society, administered the environmental pledge, while Dr M P Hassan Kunhi, the chairman, inaugurated the campaign. Hundreds of students representing various schools joined the parade along with their parents and teachers. Amanulla Vadakkangara, CEO of Mediaplus, conducted the event. In his speech, he highlighted the concerns of Qatar government in protecting the environment and exhorted the audience to make it a personal obligation. He underlined the most serious environmental issues such as global warming, climate change, carbon emissions, sustainable development, and alternative sources of energy. This was followed by an interschool painting competition where children expressed their feelings. The junior students were given the topic “My Environment: Don’t Pollute It”, while the seniors were asked to paint on the theme “My Dream About A Clean And Safe Environment.” Seen here are the Anti Smoking Society officials and students at the environment parade. AMU Alumni Association Qatar holds its annual Iftar Party More than 160 people attended AMU Alumni Association Qatar’s (AMUAAQ) annual Iftar Party at the Moti Mahal Restaurant in Doha recently. Jawed Ahmad, the VP of AMUAAQ, presented the welcome speech and introduced the special guests: Hassan Kunhi (corporate leader), Azim Abbas (MD Sulaiman Jewelry & Watches), Shadab Khan (MD RedDot Films). M Faizan Khan, co-ordinator of the association, talked about the importance and benefits of Ramadan. Ahsan Masood and Habibun Nabi Zama, senior alumni, were also facilitated on the occasion. Monday, June 13, 2016 GULF TIMES 9 COMMUNITY Arabian Porter launches new mobile app A rabian Porter launched their new mobile app at W hotel recently. Arabian Porter is an online fashion retailer for woman, providing glamorous high-end fashion. It is focused firmly on the future of Arabian fashion with many “dedicated, passionate and well-known designers.” The online retailer promises customers the best online shopping experience — a place where customers can come and discover the latest fashion trends, with a smart easy to use website that has secure payment methods, and fast delivery. The launch event took place at the W hotel. Designers, digital media, social media experts, and bloggers attended the evening. Arabian Porter launched their new app, explaining how it would facilitate shopping online for women in the GCC. The new app is the first of its kind to streamline the online shopping experience in Qatar, relying solely on visual prompts to help users purchase authentic and unique fashion and accessories. Its main purpose is to save people time and effort, providing a one-stop shopping destination that has many varieties in Qatar and GCC. Arabian Porter is based in Qatar and launched in November 2015. The company says: “Within a short span we have experienced 10,000+ new users and 41,000+ page views on our website last month. We now serve customers all over GCC, and we are thrilled to be a part of your world. We hope you enjoy our products as much as we enjoy offering them to you.” Models at the launch event. H.B.H Al Mulla & Sons, Mosafer Group participate in Victorinox training seminar H.B.H Al Mulla & Sons and Mosafer Group participated in Victorinox Training Seminar 2016 recently. Seen here are the staff members of the two groups at the training session. 10 GULF TIMES Monday, June 13, 2016 COMMUNITY Dress like Ronaldo All the Sacoor Brothers’ shoes are made in Portugal with genuine leather. Photo by Umer Nangiana By Umer Nangiana C VARIETY: The 7 suits, reflecting the Portuguese football superstar’s jersey number, in the collection illustrate the best of haute couture. arefully designed, allying the wealth of detail visible in the cut, the personalised buttons, the welt, the tiepin, the personalised label and the carefully selected materials, they have an entire line of collection in his name, the Cristiano Ronaldo & Sacoor Brothers. Only available at nine boutiques around the world with five of them in the UAE, this special collection of items is inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo, the official global ambassador of Sacoor Brothers. The 7 suits, reflecting the Portuguese football superstar’s jersey number, in the collection illustrate the best of haute couture; reinvented classics that combine shapes, colours and textures to create proposals that combine the city look of some of the main fashion capitals where Sacoor Brothers is present from Lisbon to Kuala Lumpur, London, Dubai, Madrid, Singapore, Brussels, and Doha. “Thank God, I am able to choose practically whatever it is I like. Sacoor is a label I have always liked and I can relate to it. That is why we are in partnership and I am quite pleased about that,” says Ronaldo, while speaking about the brand in his interview with local Portuguese media earlier this year. “I really like the fashion world. It is not by chance that I have shirts, my own boxers, my own fragrance, my own headphones. And more things will be coming soon,” adds the world-renowned football star. Present in Doha in Ezdan Mall, Sacoor Brothers is a well-known international label, based in Portugal. It is the result of the dream of four brothers committed to adding elegance, quality and style to the fashion world. In existence for 25 years, Sacoor Brothers been a favourite with celebrities and has dressed wellknown personalities from the world of fashion, sports, cinema and television like the famous Hollywood actors Rob Lowe, William Baldwin, Patrick Dempsey and Irina Shayk. In their Cristiano Ronaldo & Sacoor Brothers collection, they have a whole line of suits, Bold Suit, for Doha. “The timeless pattern of this suit could well make it an icon of modernity, keeping up with the pace of a fast and unstoppable city like Doha. It is ideal for the man who wants to make a bold statement, but is a classic nonetheless,” says Sacoor Brothers. Coming to Doha in 2013, the brand plans to expand to five outlets by the end of this year. Offering collections for men, women and children, the label does it in grand style. You step into their store and you get the feeling of entering an American penthouse, with a grand piano sitting in one corner opposite a personal small Sacoor Café. Monday, June 13, 2016 GULF TIMES 11 COMMUNITY EXPANSION: Mireille Sarkis, the Marketing & PR Manager of Sacoor Brothers, says they are expanding to five outlets in Qatar by the end of this year. Photo by Umer Nangiana If you are wearing eye-glasses, they will make sure the glasses are clean so you look sharp. The inhouse tailor would make sure you favourite apparel looks fit on you, no matter what size you pick. “The store itself offers a very unique ambiance. It is a US Penthouse atmosphere. You feel like you are a couple living in uptown Manhattan with a grand piano and Sukoor Café and the in-house tailor,” Mireille Sarkis, the Marketing & PR Manager of Sacoor Brothers tells Community in a chat recently at the store in Ezdan Mall. “It is a very grand feeling that we offer to our customers as well as the professional staff that we have. You will notice that our staff gives you one-on-one personal attention. You are not just another customer,” says Sarkis. They offer everything that you expect in men’s formal as well as causal collection such as polos, chinos, jeans and the formal collection such as suits and ties and dress shirts and cuff links. In women’s collection they offer a more casual look. A lot of items in their children’s collection have the same look as the adults’ collection. You will find adorable father-son and mother-daughter looks. “We have our in-house design team in Portugal and our designs have a very Portuguese influence to them. We have a very slim tailored fit to most of our items so it would always give you a very flattering silhouette,” says Sarkis. They do everything in-house including marketing and graphic design. The collection of Sacoor Brothers shoes is all made in Portugal with genuine leather, with both formal and casual look for both men and women. The inspiration behind the designs is mostly western. Their in-house design team, based in Portugal does travel around the world and attend all the fashion fairs to see what is coming up in the trends. The label has been received in Doha very well, says the store’s Marketing Manager. “We are only Sacoor Brothers’ sample of men’s collection. visible in only one mall, which is a bit challenging but a lot of our customers have heard about us from other countries such as Dubai, Bahrain and others. So once they know that we are available in Doha, they are very loyal to the brand,” says Sarkis. “Our global ambassador, Christiano Ronaldo has brought a lot of attention to the brand and of course the people who are loyal to him are loyal to whatever he promotes so that is also a big advantage for us,” she adds. Sarkis says the label is doing “very well in Doha compared to other countries that we have presence around the world.” “People here want to look classical but very elegant at the same time. There are a lot of professional men here who want to wear suits on a daily basis,” says the manager. By the end of this year or beginning next year, they are opening four more stores in the upcoming Mall of Qatar and the Photo by Umer Nangiana COMBO: Many of the collections for children have mother-daughter and son-father looks. Photo by Umer Nangiana Doha Festival City. There will be two stores in each mall — one Sacoor Brothers and other Sacoor Kids, which is a beach-house concept. The label’s target audience with its designs, Sarkis says, is mostly a bit mature audience from the mid20s to the late 40s. “We offer more of a classical elegant look; youngsters tend to like more edgy type of things. We are from mid to high price range. We are not too expensive and we try to keep it affordable,” says the manager. And there are always enticing The designs for all collections are western. offers on a regular basis besides a strong loyalty programme, with three different brackets Silver, Gold and Platinum. Each bracket is entitled to additional discounts on top of the on-going store discounts. You also receive birthday gifts from the store if you are a Platinum customer. Since the early 1990s, Sacoor Brothers has continued to expand with boutiques in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Singapore. Photo by Umer Nangiana 12 GULF TIMES Monday, June 13, 2016 COMMUNITY INFOGRAPHIC Monday, June 13, 2016 GULF TIMES 13 COMMUNITY LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE Gym-free fitness ideas anyone can do V presents the opportunity for fitness. For example, walk or run the parking lot while kids are taking dance or music classes rather than passing the time on your smartphone. isiting a gym to lift weights or take a class is great for your health. However, busy schedules, tight budgets and simply not feeling like the gym environment is for you are reasons that frequently cause people to stop going. Fortunately, being fit doesn›t require the gym! Nutrients A healthy balance of nutrients keeps blood sugar levels from crashing and gives you a steady source of energy. Piattoly especially recommends taking a Nordic Naturals supplement daily to get the omega-3s you need for optimal health. Extensive research has documented the health benefits of the two main omega-3s (EPA and DHA), which include not only support for a healthy heart, but also brain and cognitive function, joint mobility, eye health, pregnancy and lactation, healthy skin and hair, and a normally functioning immune response. Inside the home Stuck inside? No problem. Try some squats or, if mobility is an issue, squat to a chair. Push-ups are another classic, highly effective option. If regular push-ups aren›t an option, do them from your knees or against the wall. Other amazing exercises: lunges around the house, shoulder presses with dumbbells, jumping rope, jumping jacks, running in place, planks and sit-ups. Outside in nature Being out in the fresh air is a great escape that offers loads of fitness possibilities. Try hiking, paddle boarding, kayaking, skiing, fishing, mountain biking or whatever else peaks your curiosity. Simply taking a walk around the yard or block is beneficial, too. At the office Overcome the sedentary office lifestyle by making time for fitness. Try taking the stairs every day and park far away so you walk to the door. Then, use a 5-minute break every hour to do something active such as chair squats or seated leg raises. Set an automated alert so you don›t forget. Group fitness Fitness can be more fun when you do it with friends or family. Play tag, organise relay ARIES March 21 — April 19 Mercury the communicator moves into Gemini today joining up with the Sun and Venus in your third house of communication and chitchat. Be careful what you say, to whom you say it and what tone of voice you use for the next few weeks Aries. CANCER June 21 — July 22 Don’t say “no” to something outright without really listening to what it being offered today. You may hear a word or name that you don’t like and instantly tune out. LIBRA September 23 — October 22 Your fellow air sign and ninth house of spirituality is ruled by Gemini, the birthday sign. Right now, the Sun, Mercury and Venus are all lined up in Gemini. If you’ve been thinking of furthering your education, travelling or both, this is the time to really put some thought into it. CAPRICORN December 22 — January 19 Don’t let one bad apple spoil the lot today Capricorns. If you have a silly tiff with a co-worker, leave it at that. It doesn’t mean that everyone you work with is going to take sides or even get involved. races or create an obstacle course outside. Other enjoyable group fitness activities include hiking, swimming, basketball, soccer, Frisbee and bike rides. When out and about A busy schedule packed with errands still TAURUS April 20 — May 20 Talking about money, bills, debt and all other things financial is not easy. It’s one of those things most people avoid talking about, like politics or religion. However, if you need some financial advice today, Mercury’s move into your second house of cash flow makes it a great time/week/month to set time aside. LEO ©Brandpoint GEMINI May 21 — June 20 You welcome your ruler Mercury back into the fold today Gemini’s — he moves into your sign today where he stays (through June 30). With the Sun and Venus in your sign as well for the majority of the week, the world is your cosmic oyster! VIRGO July 23 — August 22 August 23 — September 22 Mercury the planet of chitchat joins hands with the Sun and Venus the lover in Gemini today, your eleventh house of hopes, wishes and friendship. If you’ve had a silly falling out with someone — someone you love and care about — you’ve got great stars to fix it. SCOR Balanced meals To support fitness efforts, it›s important to eat well and regularly. The best foods for sustained energy are balanced meals of complex fibre carbohydrates, healthy fats and lean protein. Piattoly suggests eating every three to four hours. Some ideas to include in balanced meals: whole grain breads and crackers, chicken breast, legumes and fresh fruit and vegetables. PIO October 23 — November 21 Don’t let someone blindside you today and have you scrambling to fix things or put things back the way they were Scorpios. Be wary of people offering to help you with something — particularly at work today. AQUARIUS January 20 — February 18 In your fifth house of romance, creativity and fun, Mercury joins up with the Sun and Venus today and for the next few weeks. Singles and couples are in for a very sexy, romantic time. Get out your best lingerie and clothing! Your ruler Mercury, the planet of clear and concise planning and communication moves into Gemini today, the other sign he rules. In your tenth house of career for the next 3 weeks, you will definitely find your voice when it comes to asking for what you want. SAGITTARIUS November 22 — December 21 It really is all about ‘who you know versus what you know’ today Sags. With communicator Mercury taking his place in Gemini along with the Sun and Venus the lover today — your relationship zone — the people in your life are really showing their true colours right now. PISCES February 19 — March 20 In your fourth house of home and family, the 2 personal planets, Venus and Mercury along with the Sun align and give you a wonderful opportunity to talk over anything and everything on your mind that is family related. 14 GULF TIMES Monday, June 13, 2016 COMMUNITY Wordsearch Adam Pooch Cafe Combat ACTION ARGUMENT BATTLE BOUT CLASH CONFLICT CONTEST DISPUTE DUEL ENCOUNTER FEUD FIGHT FRACAS FRAY JOUST MELEE ROW SCRAP SCUFFLE SKIRMISH STRUGGLE TUSSLE WAR Codeword Puzzles courtesy: Puzzlechoice.com Every letter of the alphabet is used at least once. Squares with the same number in have the same letter in. Work out which number represents which letter. Garfield Sudoku Bound And Gagged Sudoku is a puzzle based on a 9x9 grid. The grid is also divided into nine (3x3) boxes. You are given a selection of values and to complete the puzzle, you must fill the grid so that every column, every anone is repeated. PUZZLES/CARTOONS Monday, June 13, 2016 COMMUNITY PUZZLES Quick Clues ACROSS 1. Incredible (12) 7. Jargon (5) 8. Crustacean (5) 9. Hint (3) 10. Total (9) 11. Tiny (6) 12. Redress (6) 15. Stretched (9) 17. Tune (3) 18. Additional (5) 19. Cleanse (5) 21. Unkind (12) GULF TIMES Colouring DOWN 1. Unburdened (12) 2. Meadow (3) 3. Occupy (6) 4. Arrest (9) 5. Animal (5) 6. Meddling (12) 7. Grim (5) 10. Signature (9) 13. Silly (5) 14. Coma (6) 16. Frequently (5) 20. Decay (3) Cryptic Clues Answers Wordsearch ACROSS 1. Approves of human faces (12) 7. Looks like a well used part of a mine (5) 8. Company about to broadcast in Egypt (5) 9. Sue changes employment (3) 10. Look-out, it may have a high tar content (5,4) 11. Drive to a meeting place? (6) 12. Polish, or polish off (6) 15. When it is, the creditor may not allow it (4,2,3) 17. A novel female subject (3) 18. Not appropriate, being excessive (5) 19. Rodent that is about to become angry (5) 21. A blinking sham (5,7) DOWN 1. Round trip? (8,4) 2. A brew the French accentuate (3) 3. It’s possibly not in a race (6) 4. Need no luxury (9) 5. Type which is the very best (5) 6. Was dirt-cheap? Hardly! (4,3,5) 7. What could be finer than a riddle? (5) 10. Be not as important as many (9) 13. Susie’s spoilt children (5) 14. Sailor’s way to make ends meet (6) 16. Aimed to provide means (5) 20. One who is not an R.C. (3) Codeword Yesterday’s Solutions QUICK Across: 4 Jittery; 8 Loathe; 9 Islamic; 10 Manger; 11 Gained; 12 Guardian; 18 Bracelet; 20 Scrape; 21 Lawyer; 22 Worship; 23 Insult; 24 Slander. Down: 1 Plumage; 2 Gainsay; 3 Thread; 5 Insignia; 6 Tragic; 7 Raider; 13 Imbecile; 14 Playful; 15 Iterate; 16 School; 17 Parson; 19 Cranny. CRYPTIC Across: 4 Balance; 8 Roused; 9 Florist; 10 Indian; 11 Icicle; 12 Lowering; 18 Optional; 20 Drivel; 21 Parade; 22 Radiate; 23 Teller; 24 Leisure. Down: 1 Article; 2 Run down; 3 Repair; 5 All right; 6 Adroit; 7 Castle; 13 Idolater; 14 Entails; 15 Allegro; 16 Ornate; 17 Avoids; 19 Images. 15 16 GULF TIMES Monday, June 13, 2016 COMMUNITY BOLLYWOOD Trouble with the censors again J ust as everyone thought that Anurag Kashyap might have finally learnt the politics of how to deal with the Censor Board, he has decided to go to war with them. But in his defence, he had a just cause. The spat was over Udta Punjab, starring Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, which he has coproduced. The movie talks about the narcotics menace in Punjab where a large number of youths are drug addicts. It was slated for release on June 17 but the Censor Board has stonewalled them at the certification process. Usually the Board has to give a list of changes they want for the movie to get certified and the filmmaker has the option to go through different stages of appeal. In Udta Punjab’s case, after one stage, they refused to tell the film’s producers what their decision was. Kashyap was understandably furious because without the letter asking for changes in the movie they couldn’t go into appeal and that meant they wouldn’t be able to make the release date. Also, he read newspaper reports that claimed that just under 90 changes had been sought and even ‘Punjab’ had to be dropped from the title. Kashyap went on a media blitzkrieg and spoke in detail about how dictatorial the Board’s chairman, Pahlaj Nihalani was. Filmmakers, he alleged, had to go and personally sit before Nihalani and get a lecture on filmmaking before their movies would get passed. The reason Nihalani was so keen to see so many changes in this movie is because Punjab goes to election next year and the state is ruled by the political party that appointed him Board chairman. Showing the drug problem might reflect badly on the party and so Nihalani was just looking after the interests of his ‘masters’, it is alleged. Meanwhile Nihalani went on a counter offensive and in interviews accused Kashyap of taking money from a rival party to make this movie and he said that it showed Punjab in a bad light. The catch is of course that even if it did, it was not the Board’s business to correct it. After all, everyone agrees that the Board should only certify whether a movie is suitable only for adults or for universal viewing, instead of changing it. Later Kashyap did get an official intimation from the Board asking for 13 cuts, insisting on the dropping of Punjab from the title and also to remove names of the state’s cities from the movie. The producers have gone to court now and the movie’s fate hangs in balance until the controversy is resolved. POLITICS: Anurag Kashyap is again in a spat with the Censor Board over his latest production. Just another rumour SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT: Kareena Kapoor has come out and denied the reports of her being pregnant. The latest rumour of a new relationship doing the rounds of is between Ranbir Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut. Gossip websites have been writing about how they are regularly in touch and were also seen together at an event. It does not necessarily insinuate that there is a love affair and in all probability, even if true, that is something no one will know for a long time. But it is a connection that people are eager to make, given that Ranbir has recently broken up with Katrina Kaif and Kangana is also in the news because of her very public spat with Hrithik Roshan over whether they were lovers or not. Also, while her relationships are always little bit of a mystery, she is not linked to anyone at the moment. Meanwhile, Ranbir is said to be not taking too kindly to these rumours of him and Kangana and might even be rethinking his policy Rumours are abound of Ranbir Kapoor and Kangna Ranaut being together. of not reacting to baseless rumours. Not pregnant South calling Recently it was reported that Kareena Kapoor was pregnant. The leading newspaper of India quoted a leading gossip website to even give an exact period — three and a half months — for which she had been pregnant. Others were more speculative. When she went for an event in a loose fitting dress and kept her hand locked together in front, it was said that she was hiding her baby bump and that she had also been careful to not bend down too much. They also pointed to how she had not signed on any movie after the soonto-be-released Udta Punjab. Alas, they are all wrong apparently. Because Kareena herself came out in public to say that she was not pregnant. When a newspaper contacted her, she said that as a woman she hoped to become pregnant sometime but the latest flurry of rumours were misleading. And that when she did become pregnant there would be no secrecy around it since she had always been open about her life. RELAUNCH: Parineeti Chopra is going to do a movie that will be shot in both Tamil and Telugu. There are two times when Bollywood actresses test their luck in south Indian movies. One is when they want to break into the Hindi film industry and so doing a few initial movies down south gets them a launching pad. Both Aishwarya Rai and Deepika Padukone’s first forays were in South Indian films. The other time when an actress does this is in somewhat different circumstances, when after being established in Bollywood, they have a string of flops and offers dry up. Then it might help to get a big budget south Indian movie that becomes a blockbuster. Is that the path that Parineeti Chopra is following? Because word is in that she is now going to do a movie that will be shot in both Tamil and Telugu. For sure, it is a huge project, with the director being AR Murugadoss, who is the top southern director and has also made a Bollywood blockbuster, Ghajini. Parineeti is reportedly being paid a huge amount and the hero cast opposite her is also a reigning regional superstar. So the movie is safe undertaking to be a superhit and that is something Parineeti needs. Her last Hindi movie, Kill Dil, was in 2014 and it was a flop. So she does need to do something to get back in the game. Recently, she also had an image makeover and from a chubby person became very lean and toned up. She is trying to reinvent herself and time will tell how successful it will be. Send your feedback to [email protected] Monday, June 13, 2016 GULF TIMES 17 COMMUNITY BOLLYWOOD Rs100-crore club has poisoned filmmaking sensibilities: Shah By Kishori Sud A spiring to cross the glorified figure of Rs 100 crore at the box office is proving to be a “poison” for the Indian film industry, says acclaimed veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, who believes making contentbased movies more economically will be a step in the right direction. Just last month, Naseeruddin featured in two films — The Blueberry Hunt and Waiting. The Blueberry Hunt just came and went, but Waiting — a story on a special bond established by two people from different walks of life, who befriend each other in a hospital while nursing their respective comatose spouses — found many takers. “This Rs 100-crore club has poisoned our filmmaking sensibility. It is as if we are finally admitting the real reason why we make movies ... It is important that content-based movies must be made economically,” Naseeruddin told IANS. His reason: “You cannot expect a guy who plies a rickshaw or works on the road all day to go and see films like Waiting. He will not. He will go and see a Bajrangi Bhaijaan or a Happy New Year because he needs that. “You cannot expect him to see a film about his own life ... It’s unfair STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART: Naseeruddin Shah to even expect it,” said the 66-yearold, who in his four decade-old career, has featured in a mix of commercially entertaining as well as niche movies. He doubts if niche movies would ever appeal to labourers and factory workers. “These films will always be a niche activity. So, if these movies start aspiring to enter the Rs 100-crore club, then the quality of such films will suffer,” the Padma Bhushan awardee added. The actor says a lot of filmmakers succumb to the “temptation of bigger budgets” very quickly. “When a small film succeeds, in the next film they want Amitabh Bachchan in it. So it’s a dismal scenario. I would agree that there are a lot of films coming which stimulate your thinking, but at the same time I would say they are still less ratio-wise as compared to the 1970s,” said the actor, who impressed viewers with his work in films like Sparsh, Aakrosh, Masoom and Mandi. Drawing parallels between the 1970s and present times, he said that if earlier there were two or three content-based films, now Nawazuddin flooded with work, but loving it COMPLIMENTS: Irrfan Khan, left, and Deepika Padukone. Deepika Padukone is the biggest star: Irrfan Khan Actor Irrfan Khan, who shared the screen with Deepika Padukone in Piku, says Deepika is the biggest star and he is glad Amitabh Bachchan thinks the same. Recently, Amitabh Bachchan said that people watched Piku only because of Deepika Padukone. Irrfan, asked for his reaction on the same, said: “I don’t want to react on that. If he is saying so then there is some truth to it. Deepika is the biggest star and she was the diamond in the whole montage of actors and I am glad he acknowledged Deepika’s work.” Meanwhile, Irrfan is busy promoting his film Madaari and he says the definition of commercial cinema should be broadened. He says, “We are trying to redefine commercial cinema and commercial cinema’s definition should be broadened.” Miraj Entertainment and Bharat Shah in association with EaseMyTrip.com are presenting Madaari, a Paramhans Creations production. The film is directed by Nishikant Kamat and is all set to release on July 15. — IANS Nawazuddin Siddiqui is one busy man with films like Raman Raghav 2.0, Raees and Mom, and also brand commitments in his kitty, but he is not complaining. The actor says for him it seems like “an endless marathon”. After his visit to the 69th Cannes Film Festival with Raman Raghav 2.0 earlier this year, Nawazuddin has been caught up with the shoot for his film Mom with Sridevi and his project with actor and filmmaker Sohail Khan — Ali. Nawazuddin finished a brand commitment early in the morning and directly ran to the airport to catch a flight to Lucknow where he is shooting for his next Babumoshai Bandookbaaz directed by Kushan Nandy. “The last few months have been extremely hectic for me — juggling my film shoots, promotions, film festivals and my brand commitments. It feels like an endless marathon but it’s one I’m really happy about,” Nawazuddin said in a statement. He added: “The quality and the diversity of work I’m involved in ensures that I’m always on my toes, aiming to constantly give my best.” The acclaimed actor will also bring the life of Pakistan’s short story writer Sadat Hassan Manto alive on the silver screen through actress and filmmaker Nandita Das’s project titled Manto. Meanwhile, his latest film to release is TE3N, in which he has starred with megastar Amitabh Bachchan. – IANS HANDS FULL: Nawazuddin Siddiqui there were 20 or 30. “But the number of rubbish movies have also proportionately increased. The percentage of people making newage cinema is still very small. And I am afraid they will always be small. That is something experimental cinema-making people will have to live with... They will never have it easy,” he added. He, however, has high hopes from the regional film market. “It is important that regional cinema develops. It is certainly happening in Marathi (cinema). In Kannada, the alternative cinema has always been there and also in Malayalam. The signs are good, but trouble is that everybody is looking at Rs100 crore,” Naseeruddin said. He feels the revival of Marathi and Punjabi cinema is great. “Marathi cinema went through a very bad phase because of the low comedy that was being made. It has been recently revived. And Punjabi cinema has revived too as they make more popular kind of stuff,” he said, praising his A Wednesday co-actor Jimmy Sheirgill for his contribution to reviving Punjabi cinema. Asserting that regional cinema must flourish because “today there is no longer such a thing called a pan-Indian movie”, Naseeruddin said: “The days of 50-week run are gone forever. Sholay ran in the same theatre for two years in Mumbai ... That era is gone. Now every movie is a niche movie.” – IANS 18 GULF TIMES Monday, June 13, 2016 COMMUNITY HOLLYWOOD FINALLY: Finding Dory opens June 17 with lofty expectations at the box office. Finding Dory after 13 years By Rebecca Keegan F or years, a standing bit on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show was her irritation at the lack of a Finding Nemo sequel. The comedian, who voiced the cheerful, amnesiac sidekick Dory in the aquatic 2003 Pixar film, greeted the announcement of other sequels from the animation studio with a dramatic flash of side-eye. Fans protested too, wondering in online comment sections why Cars 2 and Toy Story 3 got made, while Nemo, which was a global box office hit (making $937mn worldwide), an Oscar winner and the highestselling DVD of all time, still had no follow-up. Thirteen years later, it does — Finding Dory opens June 17 with DeGeneres’ character as the lead fish and with lofty expectations at the box office. The reason for the long delay was Andrew Stanton. Stanton, 50, who wrote and directed Finding Nemo and its sequel, is one of Pixar’s longest-standing and most respected employees, having joined the studio as its second animator in 1990 and established himself as a creative executive whose clear-eyed sense of story and nononsense attitude help ground the filmmakers around him. Colleagues refer to him as the John Lennon to Pixar chief creative officer John Lasseter’s Paul McCartney, with Stanton bringing the grit that leavens Lasseter’s optimism. Dory is a return home for Stanton, who also directed Wall-E, and has writing credits on all three Toy Story films but stepped away from Pixar to make his live-action debut with John Carter, a big-budget adaptation of an Edgar Rice Burroughs book that became a costly and high-profile misfire for Disney in 2012. In returning to Pixar, Stanton has returned to a filmmaking culture he helped shape, one where failure is considered a painful but necessary step in the creative process. One morning in May, as his colleagues gathered at the Skywalker Ranch in Marin County for what is traditionally a panic-inducing event for filmmakers, a final notes screening of Finding Dory for the studio’s creative executives, Stanton projected an assurance. “One of the things I took from ‘John Carter’ was, I’m not sweating this,” Stanton said as executives Lasseter, Ed Catmull and Jim Morris, fellow directors Pete Docter and Lee Unkrich, producer Lindsey Collins and the film’s department heads filed into a screening room with notebooks in hand. In the new film, which is codirected by Angus MacLane, Dory is trying to find her parents, a quest that takes her to “the jewel of Morro Bay, California,” a marine life institute, and pairs her with a cantankerous octopus named Hank, voiced by Ed O’Neill. Finding Dory unfolds as a kind of mystery, as the lead character’s memory loss keeps her past a secret from her and the audience. “I had always seen Dory as a tragic character,” Stanton said. “I had always assumed she had spent most of her life wandering the ocean being ditched or accidentally ditching other people, and had this compounding sense of abandonment. I figured she had developed this superpower of being the most optimistic, nice, fun person to be around so maybe the next person — or fish — she meets won’t leave her.” Stanton had resisted the notion of a Nemo sequel for years. In the late ’90s he had worked to retool the story on Pixar’s first sequel, Toy Story 2, a pressure-plagued production that saw its beleaguered crew racing to meet a release date despite an unfinished script. “We always said after that, ‘We’ll only make a sequel if the idea is that good,’” Stanton said. (Some might disagree that Pixar has been quite so picky about its sequel choices — Cars 2 was a rare misfire with critics, and the studio now has Cars 3 due in 2017 and Toy Story 4 set for 2018). In 2016 — a year that has so far delivered several underwhelming sequels to the box office, including Alice Through the Looking Glass, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows and The Huntsman: Winter’s War — Stanton’s sequelaverse policy seems like a sensible one. But over the years it looked as if the studio was leaving money on the table with Nemo. So when Stanton came up with the idea of a movie focused on Dory while he was still in production on John Carter, a studio green light quickly followed. A scene from Finding Dory. “We sort of didn’t think there was ever going to be a Nemo sequel,” Morris said. “It’s easy to understand why studios make sequels. Audiences like them. They’re easier to market. But it had been a long time. And Disney was great about not pressuring us. When Andrew got excited about it, that’s all it took.” Coming off of John Carter, the failure of which had knocked Stanton on his heels, the director expected that returning to the familiar world of Nemo and safety of his home studio would be easier. Instead he found the Dory story confoundingly hard to nail down — even for the studio’s resident story guru. “It was a bear,” Stanton said. “You don’t realise until you make a character with short-term memory loss that self-reflection is the only way you can chart that somebody is progressing in a film. We had many smart people banging their heads against the table for a year or two to figure out, how do you get that same progression you get from any other character?” The solution came with the introduction of Hank as Dory’s sidekick, and the use of flashbacks, another conceit Stanton had initially resisted. Along the way, Stanton and his crew spent time at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Marine Mammal Institute in Oregon, observing how the environments looked from the animals’ perspectives. The Finding Dory filmmakers also watched the 2013 documentary Blackfish, about the controversy over captive killer whales at Sea World. The animals’ experiences vary — Hank enjoys life in captivity and harbours a dream of ending up in a Cleveland aquarium. But a sequence in an educational touch tank is played like a battle scene in a war movie, with animals dodging the creepy, invasive hands of curious children. Stanton said he isn’t pushing any particular view of marine animals living in captivity. “On ‘Wall-E’ people kept wondering what my environmental message was,” Stanton said. “I’m a very selfish storyteller. I just want whatever works to help tell the character’s story. I don’t have a secret agenda.” Stanton has multiple post-Dory projects in mind, including a couple of live-action scripts. Returning to Pixar after “John Carter” reinforced an idea that governs his writing: being open. “If your ego can take it and if you’re in a healthy enough atmosphere and if you’re not worried about winning the argument, you can make a movie better,” he said. — Los Angeles Times/TNS Monday, June 13, 2016 GULF TIMES 19 COMMUNITY HOLLYWOOD Priyanka Chopra, JLo lipsync to Enrique Iglesias’ number B ollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, who is throwing surprises one after another in her international journey, has now featured in a video with the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Cristiano Ronaldo. What’s more, the song is by Enrique Iglesias. The song, titled Don’t you need somebody, has been primarily sung by Hero singer Iglesias, with bits of it crooned by R City, Serayah and Shaggy. Priyanka, a former Miss World title holder, is pleasantly not in a a blink-and-youmiss appearance. Instead, she features in a number of frames as she is seen grooving to and lipsyncing to the number. The video also features international celebrities like Akon, Mila Jovovich, Ryan Seacrest, Mesut Özil, Lopez and Ronaldo among others. Released on YouTube on last week, the video has Priyanka in a hair updo and a beige-hued jumpsuit. Her wine coloured lipstick stands out. Priyanka’s journey on foreign shores first began when she released her English single In my city. She launched two more tracks before landing a lead role in American TV show Quantico, and now she has even shot for the Baywatch movie with Dwayne Johnson. — IANS Depp’s lawyer’s request to depose Amber Heard denied Actor Johnny Depp’s lawyer’s request to depose Amber Heard and neighbour Raquel Pennington was denied. Depp’s lawyer, Laura Wasser, filed a request to compel Heard’s deposition immediately. But according to sources and court documents, the judge denied the motion, reasoning that the original notice of deposition failed to give Heard the required 10-day notice, reports people.com. On June 17, a court hearing is scheduled to determine whether to PITCHING IN: Jennifer Lopez, left, and Priyanka Chopra. Justin Bieber gets into brawl after NBA game extend a temporary restraining order issued against Depp. “Respondent’s request to take deposition of Heard is denied, as the request was untimely noticed,” the judge stated. Wasser also asked for the actress to provide all of her communications (writing, documents, texts) from December 15 to present, including with her friend iO Tillet Wright. “Amber has not been given sufficient time to locate the requested documents. The request requires Amber to review over six months of personal communications with potentially every person she has spoken with, to search for any passing reference to the incidents in question. This is unduly burdensome,” Heard’s attorney Samantha Spector stated. The 52-year-old actor is locked in an ongoing legal drama with estranged wife Amber Heard. Depp has been ordered to stay away from Heard after she claimed he hit her in the face with a cellphone, pulled her hair, struck her and screamed at her during a fight. Last month, Heard was granted a temporary restraining order against Depp until June 17. – IANS Singer Justin Bieber got into a physical fight with a man in Cleveland after a National Basketball Association (NBA) game. The 22-year-old star was there to watch the Cleveland Cavaliers facing off the Golden State Warriors at the Quicken Loans Arena during the game 3 of the NBA Finals. Bieber was caught on camera throwing punches at a man, but his much-bigger opponent easily retaliated with his own fist and sent the star to the ground. The incident reportedly happened outside his hotel, reports aceshowbiz. com. Earlier in the day, Bieber was reportedly booed by the home team’s fans. He was joined by his homie Lewis Hamilton at the Quicken Loans Arena, but it’s unclear if the F1 racer was present during the brawl. – IANS Actor Liam Hemsworth once hurled knife at brother Chris Jolie might star in Murder on the Orient Express Actor Liam Hemsworth has revealed he once hurled a kitchen knife at his older brother Chris Hemsworth. The Hunger Games star has admitted that the sibling rivalry between himself and Chris, 32, became so “vicious” on occasions, that he would turn to using weapons to defend himself, reports femalefirst.co.uk. Making an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, the 26-year-old star — who also has another older brother named Luke, 35 — shared: “Our childhood rivalry was a bit vicious — a bit like The Hunger Games, actually.” Liam admitted that on some occasions, their bickering became completely out of hand. “We had a few incidents with weapons. I never had any problems with Luke because he was so much older and I didn’t mess with him. But with Chris, we were very like-minded, very stubborn and would often get into arguments and because I was so much younger and smaller I had to use weapons to fight,” he said. Actress Angelina Jolie is in talks to star in Kenneth Branagh’s Murder on the Orient Express. The shooting is expected to begin in November in London and then move to Malta, reports hollywoodreporter.com. Jolie would play Mrs Harriet Hubbard, a role once played by actress Lauren Bacall in the 1974 version. The Fox film, based on Agatha Christie’s classic mystery, has been in the works for years. The story is on special detective Hercule Poirot, who boards the train from Istanbul to London only to have a murder committed in the car next to his during a snowstorm. Poirot tries to discover the murderer or murderers before there’s another victim. Director Sidney Lumet had made the first adaptation in 1974 for Paramount. Albert Finney starred in that version as Poirot, while actors Ingrid Bergman, Bacall and Sean Connery were among the passengers or the suspects. Branagh is producing the project alongside Ridley Scott, Simon Kinberg and Mark Gordon. Aditya Sood and Michael Schaefer are executive producing the film, slated to release on November 22, 2017. — IANS SIBLING RIVALS: Chris, left, and Liam Hemsworth Liam revealed he came perilously close to seriously injuring his older brother, who is best known for playing the Marvel superhero Thor. “So, one day when I was about five, we had a fight in the kitchen about using the toaster, or something, and I picked up a kitchen knife and threw it at his head and the handle hit him in the forehead,” he said. Liam jokingly added that despite the near-miss, he was always in control of the situation. – IANS 20 GULF TIMES Monday, June 13, 2016 COMMUNITY LONG RUN: Gonnie van de Merwe, the Dutch owner, inside the Capitol, a venerable cinema in Germany. The picture theatre has operated in Bernburg, eastern Germany since 1927. Now showing in the digital format Art Deco cinema in eastern Germany keeps its plush while updating for the modern age By Sabrina Gorges D ouble-leaf doors, golden handrails, red seats, the smell of popcorn in the air. The enormous screen, which appears to be on an actual wooden stage, is surrounded by polished wood and delicate plasterwork. “This used to be the orchestra pit,” says Gonnie van de Merwe, the owner of the Capitol cinema in Bernburg, eastern Germany, as she points at the stage floor. There are also balcony seats and a bar in the cinema, which is celebrating its 90th birthday next year. “It’s the last Art Deco cinema in the country,” says Van de Merwe proudly. When the cinema was first opened, Adolf Hitler was just a minor politician and Germany was in its liberal though economically shaky Weimar Republic phase. At its launch on November 14, 1927, 560 people saw the silent movie Der Meister von Nuernberg (roughly based on the opera The Master-Singers of Nuremberg), with the music provided by the house orchestra in the pit. “There was also stage room to the left and the right and different coloured curtains,” says Dutch-born Van der Merwe. She has been director of the Capitol since 2010. The original cinema built in imitation of a proper theatre, elegant and sumptuous, bringing some capital-city verve to Bernburg, a quiet town with a population of 33,000 that survived the bombing of World War II intact. The sound of a gong has always signalled the curtain going up on a film. In its 90 years of existence, the cinema has been remodelled several times. In the 1960s, for example, the orchestra pit disappeared. But the cinema has still retained much of its Art Deco style. Today there are only five employees. Pre-1989, when East Germany was a separate country, there were 35 including a boilerman and ushers. “In 2009 I came to the cinema with my daughter to relax,” says Van de Merwe, 62. The family had recently moved house and needed a change from the stress. On the door was a notice: “Cinema for sale.” “I talked to my husband about it because I was so enthusiastic about its atmosphere,” she says. Such a place had to be preserved, she told him. So the couple bought the cinema, though she won’t say how much they paid, and began renovating it. “Roof, toilets, windows and digitalisation came in 2012. It cost a lot of money,” says Van de Merwe. They now sell 33,000 tickets a year. What they like best, Manager and projectionist Maik Erdmann. according to Van de Merwe, is that the cinema is so small – aside from the main cinema, which has 340 seats, there’s a smaller room for 45 people. “A good show is when half of the tickets for the main cinema have been sold,” says Maik Erdmann, the 45-year-old who has run the cinema since 2003. Last year was a record year for Germany’s 1,650 cinemas, with 29.9mn people over the age of 10 going to the cinema at least once, according to the German Film Board (FFA). That’s 2.9mn more than in 2014. With 40,000 cinemagoers, the Capitol also received more visits than usual. That’s because there were good films showing, says Erdmann. Nevertheless, 200 cinemas have closed in Germany since 2002. The Capitol’s programme usually sticks to current releases, but when there’s space, says Erdmann, they like to show something more niche. “We try to combine demand and trend,” says Erdmann, who chooses the films and negotiates with distributors together with an external planner. “And they (the distributors) insist the showing takes place even if no one’s turned up,” says Erdmann. He climbs up a narrow staircase to the top floor. What used to be home to rolls of film and projectors is now a haven of digital cinema gear. After the gong sounds, Erdmann starts the film on a laptop – a click of the mouse, nothing more. The picture from the projector is beamed through one of the four narrow windows onto the screen below and the sound system hums. Without digitalisation, says Erdmann, the Capitol could no longer exist. – DPA
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