Nidhi Subaiah is somebody who found her acting dream in Sandalwood. But she was wise enough to know that dreams do not last forever; they are always followed by another. And she followed her dream to reach Bollywood having made a debut in Oh My God as a TV reporter. But she seems to be dreaming on, not clinging on to just one. She is back in Sandalwood for Nanna Ninna Prem Kahani directed by Shivu Jamkandi, in which she is paired opposite Vijay Raghavendra.
And she will not just be acting, but will also be singing in the film “I have always been a singer, but never got an opportunity. So, when the director told me about it, I was more than eager,” said the actress who was in Bengaluru to complete her first schedule.
According to her, it was a last minute decision, recording for which took place on Monday. “It is a melodious romantic song. I had once sang for musician Mano Moorthy when we were associated for Pancharangi, but then it was just for fun and to know how a recording studio works. But this one was done on a serious note,” she pointed out.
Speaking about her Bollywood experience, Nidhi asserted that she was glad to have been able to make a name in the industry without any godfather. “I have three releases in 2016. The year will start with the release of Direct Ishq in February, followed by Love Shagun on February 29. I have also signed another film titled Saarathi. I can’t say much about the film, which is an offbeat project. It is in the dubbing stages and they plan to come out in April or May,” she said and it was hinted that she had to put on weight for the particular project.
After being part of film like Pancharangi, Krishnan Marriage Story and Anna Bond, Nidhi took time to get back to Sandalwood and she reasoned it out by stating that she was being choosy. “I did get offers in Kannada but I became selective. I didn’t want to take up everything that came my way. I was not out of touch because I used to listen to scripts sitting in Mumbai in between my busy shooting schedule for my Bollywood films. Luckily, every thing fell in place with Nanna Ninna Prem Kahani,” she explained.
The actress has gone back to Mumbai and will be in Belgaum from January 3 for the next schedule of the Kannada film.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Kannada / by A Sharadhaa / December 30th, 2015
It was the last action of the day. S Chikkarangappa had to make a putt for par on the final hole to clinch the McLeod Russel Tour Championship, the season-ending PGTI event, at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club here on Sunday. The Bengaluru lad held his nerve to seal the title with a three-under 69.
His four-day total of 12-under 276 helped him to edge out overnight leader Jyoti Randhawa and Khalin Joshi by one stroke. The winner’s cheque of Rs 22.5 lakh also helped Chikkarangappa to top the PGTI Order of Merit list after finishing second in the last two seasons. He featured in seven PGTI meets this year, winning three, finishing runner-up in one and securing top-10 finishes in all.
Randhawa, who was in the lead on the first three days, could only manage one-over 73 in the final round and finished tied-second with Joshi, who shot even-par 72 on Sunday. Local pro SSP Chawrasia made a late surge with four-under 68 to finish fourth -two shots behind Chikkarangappa. Another local pro – Rahil Gangjee – was placed fifth with a four-day aggregate of seven-under 281.
Chikka mixed five birdies with two bogeys on Sunday. A birdie on the 17th proved to be crucial, giving him a one-shot lead going into the final hole. And, with all three playing making par on the final hole, Chikka had the last laugh.
“The birdie on the 17th was the winning one. That gave me the lead as well as the confidence before the final hole. I am really happy and emotional. It means a lot to me and it’s good way to end the year,” said Chikka, who had a new caddie for this meet. Narsimha, who used to caddy for Anirban Lahiri, proved to be lucky for Chikka too.
Mentored by Rahul Dravid, Chikka also looks up to Lahiri for guidance. He plans to discuss about the new season with coach Vijay Divecha before leaving for the qualifying school.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> Sports> Golf / by Abhishek Ganguly, TNN / December 28th, 2015
Indian tennis ace Leander Paes on Wednesday said if he partners Rohan Bopanna in the men’s doubles event in the Rio Olympics next year, they will have the best chance of grabbing a medal. “Pretty obvious in the men’s doubles that Rohan and myself have the best chance of going out there and winning the medal. Rohan has been playing some wonderful tennis, he has been playing with (Florin) Mergea and has done well. With Rohan and myself playing doubles for India, I think we have a great chance of grabbing a medal,” Paes told reporters here where he had come as IDBI’s Kolkata Marathon’s ‘Face of the Event’. “I had wanted to play with him in London. In the grass courts it was a great platform for us to do well.” Four years back in London, Paes had to partner Vishnu Vardhan and they lost in the second round. He then combined with Sania Mirza but bowed out to the eventual mixed doubles champions Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi of Belarus.
The 42-year-old believes based on current performance he and Mirza should be sent to represent the country in the mixed doubles event. “With Sania Mirza, I played at London, we lost to the eventual champions, Azarenka, Mirnyi. We had a great chance in that game too. We have both had good seasons, so on merit it is an obvious choice to let me and Sania go. But after what happened in London I don’t think anything can be taken for granted,” he said pointing to the fact that he was paired with Vardhan who during the London Olympics was ranked 209. Both Mahesh Bhupathi and Bopanna refused to play doubles with Paes, after which the national tennis federation persuaded Sania Mirza to play with the veteran Kolkatan. And Paes paired up with lowly ranked Vardhan.
The nine-time mixed doubles Grand Slam winner said he is focussing on the event more as he has been successful in it in the last few years. “For Rio I have focussed a lot on mixed doubles, I have been focussed on the Grand Slams as mixed doubles is only played in four Grand Slams. And having a wonderful partner in Martina Hingis has allowed me to do that. Winning three of the four Grand Slams leading into the Olympics, it’s pretty obvious where my focus is,” he said. “Having got the medal in singles already in the Olympics to do it in the doubles and mixed doubles is something I am focussing on.” The tennis star added that he is looking forward to playing alongside Bopanna and Sania if he gets the opportunity and that representing the country and getting a medal is the foremost thing on his mind.
“Let’s see how the next six months turn up. I hope another London does not happen. But representing the country is the foremost thing in mind. And I think the best team should go and represent the country and it should be done on merit. I am looking forward to playing with Sania and Rohan if I get the opportunity.”
source: http://www.freepressjournal.in / The Free Press Journal / Home> Sports / by FPJ Bureau / December 24th, 2015
Joshna wants to capitalise on her form as she aims to do better in the upcoming season. (TOI Photo)
New Delhi :
Joshna Chinappa overtook Dipika Pallikal to become India’s highest-ranked player while off the court N Ramachandran’s role as the boss of the world governing body was questioned in what turned out to be a memorable year for Indian and world squash.
Ramachandran faced a lot of heat, both as president of the World Squash Federation (WSF) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), coinciding with his brother N Srinivasan’s ouster from the International Cricket Council.
(PSA) went to the extent of calling Ramachandran an “embarrassment” to the sport for leading WSF to another failed Olympic bid. Back home in India, selected member federations wanted him removed as the IOA chief but he managed to weather the storm.
______________________________________________________________ HIGHLIGHTS
• The start of the year saw the merger of male professional body PSA and its women’s counterpart WSA.
• Joshna had the most fruitful time among country’s three torch-bearers including Dipika and Saurav Ghosal.
• Ramachandran faced a lot of heat, both as president of the WSF and IOA.
________________________________________________________________
The start of the year also saw the merger of male professional body PSA and its women’s counterpart WSA.
On the court, Joshna had the most fruitful time among country’s three torch-bearers including Dipika and Saurav Ghosal.
The highlight of her season undoubtedly was getting the better of world number one Raneem El Welily in the opening round of Qatar Classic. A couple of USD 15,000 titles in Melbourne and Mumbai along with a semifinal finish at the USD 50,000 Carol Weymuller Open in New York eventually helped her reach a career-high rank of 13, a jump of nine places since December 2014.
It is the first time in five years that the 29-year-old finished the season ahead of Pallikal, who held on to the 16th spot of December last year despite playing less events owing to a month’s break she took for her wedding in August.
Joshna wants to capitalise on her form as she aims to do better in the upcoming season.
“It has been a good year but I don’t want to stop here. I believe I can push myself. Obviously the aim is to get better, break into the top 10 and then top five. I don’t want to think that I am at the peak of my game. I am 29 and as squash history points out, a lot of players peak post 30. So I am going to keep doing what I am doing, work hard and train hard for the upcoming season,” Joshna told PTI.
For her longtime teammate Dipika, it was an unforgettable year off the court as she tied the knot with cricketer Dinesh Karthik. On the squash court, she did not have a great time by her standards.
“It was not a great year for me to be honest. I did not play as well as I could have. The positive is that I have not lost a lot of ground in the rankings and hopefully I can get back into the top-10 with consistent performances next year,” Dipika said.
The 29-year-old, who ended the year as world number 18 after beginning at 24, reached four finals with the high point being his runner-up effort in Colombia. He was expected to win the summit clash against local qualifier Alfredo Avila after surprising fifth-ranked Miguel Rodriguez in the last four.
His other two wins against a top-10 player came against Tarkek Momen.
“It was a decent year for me. I reached four finals and won one though I should have done more than that. Next season will be about climbing up the rankings ladder, getting more wins against top-10 players,” said Ghosal, who injured his foot in Hong Kong earlier in the month.
He is undergoing recovery at home and therefore will be missing the Tournament of Champions to be held in New York from January 7.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> Sports> More Sports / PTI / December 16th, 2015
Dr S V Narasimhan, a medical practitioner in Virajpet in Kodagu district, is perhaps better known as a bird enthusiast. An avid bird watcher, he has been carrying out an awareness campaign with focus on conservation for the past three decades.
As part of the initiative, every year he sends hand-painted cards to over 1,000 people across the world. The card consists of meticulous painting of a bird or an animal with information about it, and conservation messages.
Here are some sample messages — “ We co-exist, can’t you?” by a tiger and a spotted deer; “It was we who filled the world with melodious music,” by common iora bird.
Narasimhan feels that all creatures are equally important for the survival of life on earth. He chose this signature campaign to motivate people to think about environment and our roles in conserving it. These wildlife message cards are individually handpainted and sent to people across the world, free of cost, during the wildlife week every year. In the last 32 years, he has painted 62,420 cards.
This year alone, he painted 1,930 cards. In the process, he has painted more than 480 species of animals, birds and butterflies. One of his messages said, “Let us join hands to make our earth a greener place to live. This is the only place where all the elements of life can live in health, happiness and harmony.” He has also authored a bilingual book (Kannada and English) on birds called Feathered Jewels of Coorg.
To know more about the campaign, visit www.drsvnarasimhan.blogspot.in.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Spectrum / AP – December 08th, 2015
“It has been a terrific year,” says Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna, summing up his performance in 2015.
With four doubles titles, reaching the finals of the ATP World Tour Finals and finishing the year in the top 10, 2015 was Bopanna’s most successful year on the circuit so far. Doubles record-holder Mike Bryan had high praise for him as well. “Rohan is probably the hottest player of the tournament. He’s doing everything well. He’s got big weapons,” he said at the O2 in London. And the 35-year old Indian credits it in a large way to his Romanian men’s doubles partner Florin Mergea.
“I’m glad I have managed to find the right partner with Florin. Even though we started in April, we managed to qualify for London (ATP Finals). It’s great, the way we have played together as a team and doing well in major tournaments ,” Bopanna told Firstpost in an exclusive telephonic chat.
Bopanna and Mergea first teamed up at Casablanca in April and ended the year with a 31-16 record, including two titles from four finals.
Rohan Bopanna. Getty Images
Keeping up this successful momentum, is comes as no surprise that the Indo-Romanian pair intends to continue their partnership in 2016, and Bopanna is very optimistic about extending their record. “We are sticking together as a team and this time we will start in January itself. As a team, we have a lot to grow as we work together and that is a good sign.”
“The way we are playing together, we have a good chance at winning every tournament we enter. As a player, it is a great feeling to go into a tournament knowing that you can beat everyone out there, knowing that you can win the tournament and not just go there to perform,” says Bopanna.
But would 2016 begin with India’s only ATP tournament, the Chennai Open in January? “We are still deciding on our 2016 calendar since we have had such a long year.We finished only a few days ago and we are still deciding whether to play in the first week of the year or not. It is great to have a home tournament but we are not sure if we want to give ourselves another week off and start the season in Sydney,” Bopanna said.
Speaking of a long year, the tennis season may be over but the second season of the popular International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) is coming up. Bopanna is part of Indian Aces, who won the inaugural season and is looking forward to defend the title.
“It’s great that the IPTL is having a second season and since we won it last year, all the teams are looking forward to taking us down and I am looking forward to the challenge. I have spoken to my team mates and we are all ready, it’s going to be a lot of fun like last year,” he adds.
The Indian Aces will boast of the services of Rafael Nadal this year, after having had Roger Federer on the team last year. Soon, Bopanna might be in a unique position to tell us who is the better team mate, maybe? “If I do get to play with Rafa, then let’s see, in a few weeks we can take that call,” he laughs.
Bopanna is also all praise for IPTL and Mahesh Bhupati.
“They (Federer and Nadal) are exceptional players and you learn a lot especially when you are playing with them. I’m really looking forward to have Rafa in our team and it is going to be fantastic not only for us as players but also for the fans. It’s great for tennis that Mahesh (Bhupathi) has got all the top players playing in the league. I think tennis in Asia is definitely going to grow and this is the right way forward,” he says.
The popularity of tennis in Asia, and especially in India, has been on the rise in the past few years as was evident from the turnout in Delhi during IPTL 2015. “Fans are excited to see their favorite players play in their country and that makes a big a difference. We have many youngsters come out and support their favorite players. As players it is great to see so many people come out and support tennis. The growth of tennis will improve if we have these leagues like these,” he adds.
But it’s not just the fans that have benefited greatly from the tournament, it gives a boost to aspiring tennis players as well. Bopanna’s advice to these youngsters is simple — commitment and discipline.
“It is nice to see that lot of youngsters want to pick up the sport and become professional players and I think that having IPTL, especially with all these top players coming in, it is going to boost the confidence of a young player coming up. When I meet youngsters today, they want to get into the professional circuit and aim to break into the top. So whenever I can, I try to advise them that tennis is a full time commitment with a lot of discipline involved.”
And which young, Indian player is Bopanna’s pick to watch out for? “Yuki Bhambri is playing great tennis right now and has cracked into the top 100. The way he has been playing, he has every chance of reaching the top 50 and he is definitely a player to watch out for in 2016.”
Speaking of 2016, it is also the year of the Olympics. But Bopanna, who partnered with Mahesh Bhupathi at the 2012 London Olympics, is not thinking about that just yet. “It is a great feeling to represent India at the Olympics again, but we have three Grand Slams before it even comes into play. So I have to take it one step at a time cannot think of too far ahead.”
source: http://www.firstpost.com / FirstPost / Home> F.Sports> Latest News> Sports News / by Zenia D’Cunha / December 02nd, 2015
Chinappa has pipped former Indian No. 1 Dipika Pallikal to the title
Chennai :
India’s national champion Joshna Chinappa has become the highest ranked Indian in the world professional squash circuit. As per the latest rankings released on Tuesday Chinappa has jumped from 17th to 13th in the latest rankings.
Dipika Pallikal, who till now held this honour, has slipped to 16th from 14th, while the best among the male players in India, national champion Saurav Ghosal has dropped a rung to 18.
Joshna’s phenomenal show in the Qatar Classic in Doha last month had stood her in good stead. More than the quarter final finish there her beating of world number one Raneem El Welily of Egypt in the first round had helped her to this happy tidings. The Indian star is now getting set to play her first round in the Hong Kong Open, a prestigious event prior to the World women championship scheduled in Malaysia.
As for the others, Mahesh Mangaonkar is on 62, Harinderpal Sandhu is placed on 66 and Kush Kumar on 97. In the women’s section Sachika Ingle is on 87.
Four designers from Bengaluru will present their Khadi creations in Jaipur at the first edition of the Rajasthan Heritage Week, which was launched in the City on Friday.
The event, intended to promote traditional textiles, is being organised by Bengaluru-based Prasad Bidappa Associates, the Government of Rajasthan and the Khadi Board. It will be held from December 3 to 5 in Jaipur.
Pavithra Muddaya, Tara Aslam, Manish Saksena, Jason and Anshu are the Bengaluru-based designers who took part in the ‘Handmade in Rajasthan’ project. Along with designers from other parts of the country and abroad, they worked closely with traditional handloom weavers in interior villages in Rajasthan.
What started as a pilot project with Bangladeshi designer Bibi Russell was taken forward on a larger scale after the Chief Minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje was impressed with the collection she created. At the event on Friday, models showcased Russell’s colourful and fresh creations.
“The intention of the project is to revive our country’s traditional fabric and make it more appealing to the younger generation and for a foreign audience,” Prasad Bidappa, the organiser and chief creative director of the project, said. “Through this initiative, eight national award-winning weavers have been elevated to the status of designers with their creations being exhibited at the Rajasthan Heritage Week. That, according to me, is our biggest achievement,” he added.
Pavitra Muddaya, who runs Vimor, along with her mother Chimi Nanjappa, talked about the challenges she faced in the project. “My Hindi is very poor so communicating with the weavers was a problem.”
Muddaya has been working as a textile revivalist, documenting techniques and providing training to traditional weavers. “The way they work there, the processes, the terminology is very different from how it is in South India. It was an eye-opener for me though I have been working in this field for 40 years,” she added.
“In the past I have worked with Pethanis and Maheshwaris but this was the first time that I worked with something from Rajasthan,” said Manish Saksena who worked with traditional weavers in Kaithoon village in Rajasthan’s Kota district to create 18 sarees.
Produced entirely by hand, it took him and the weavers two months to complete them.
“Two of the people I collaborated with were master craftsmen and it was very humbling to work with them.” he added. His sarees will be sold for Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 a piece.
Tara Aslam, who has a Khadi store in Bengaluru called Nature Alley, created designs for modern travellers inspired by the tribes of Rajasthan, and Jason & Anshu of the label ‘smallshop’ designed eclectic menswear and womenswear.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> City / DHNS – Bengaluru, November 28th, 2015
‘It is a tragedy that British termed freedom fighters insurgents’
It is a tragedy that British termed freedom fighters like Subedar Guddemane Appayya Gowda, Sangolli Rayanna, Bhagath Singh insurgents. The historians who failed to understand it, also termed them insurgents, said MLA K G Bopaiah.
Speaking after inaugurating Subedar Guddemane Appayya Gowda Martyrs Day organised by the district administration, Kannada and Culture Department and Karnataka Arebhashe Samskrithi mathu Sahitya Academy here on Saturday, he said there were several uprisings against the British rule prior to Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. Guddemane Appayya Gowda had led an insurgency against the British.
He said that there are miscreants who try to divide the society. “Let us pledge to work towards the integrated development of the district and spread the messages of Guddemane Appayya Gowda and Field Marshal K M Cariappa.”
Kodagu district Kannada Sahitya Parishat president T P Ramesh said that those who have no knowledge about history can not create it.”
He said Appayya Gowda should not be restricted to a community. Karnataka Arebhashe Sahitya mathu Samskrithi Academy and Karnataka Kodava Academy should document the history of the district. Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Chairperson Veena Achaiah, Kodava Academy president B S Thammaiah, Madikeri CMC president Shreemathi Bangera were present.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / DHNS / Madikeri, November 01st, 2015
Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani and Rohan Murty, have together contributed Rs 1.5 crore towards a corpus that former students of Bengaluru’s Bishop Cottons Boys School are building for retired staff members of their school.
Murty, son of the other Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy, and Nilekani are among the scores of illustrious citizens the school has produced in its 150-year history. The alumni are confident the corpus will grow in size.
An announcement about the fund, and Nilekani’s anchor donation of Rs 50 lakh, was made by Aditya Sondhi, another old Cottonian, and Managing Trustee of General K.S.Thimayya Memorial Trust at the school on Saturday on the occasion of 11th General KSThimayya memorial lecture. (The general was a Cottonian too, and this year’s lecture was delivered by Rahul Rao, lecturer in politics at the University of London, and Rohan Murty himself.)
Murty, who has announced a cheque of Rs 1 crore, said the teachers and other staff members have given 30-40 years of their life to the service of the school and its students. “I was very touched by the initiative. And, when i heard about Nandan’s contribution, i decided i should also emulate him. I hope more people will come forward, and contribute,” Murthy said, and added, “The fund is our way of expressing our gratitude to our teachers and other staff members.”
The fund is reflective of the strong bond that exists between the school’s former students and staff in all ranks including those worked as lab assistants, attendants etc. “We thought we should provide an opportunity for ex-students to express their gratitude and affection towards the teachers and others,” said CN Kumar, a Cottonian from the 1970 batch, Nilekani’s classmate.
Kumar runs a startup consultancy called Advantage Offshore Knowledge Services, and serves on the Thimayya Memorial Trust.
In addition to annual cash rewards to retired staffers, the fund —which Kumar hopes will grow to at least Rs 5 crore — will meet expenses arising out of medical emergencies of retired staffers and the education needs of their children. Contributions to the trust are eligible for income tax exemption.
The school, which is an old Bengaluru landmark, has produced many stalwarts including former chief of naval staff Admiral Vijay Singh Shekhawat, nuclear scientist Raja Ramanna and cricketer Brijesh Patel.
On Saturday, the Trust gave away Rs 1 lakh each to retired staffers Iqbal Ahmed (NCC commandant), Channappa Gowda (Kannad Novea teacher) Antony (pantry helper) and J Martin (lab assistant).
source: http://www.economictimes.indiatimes.com / The Economic Times / ET Home> News> Company> Corporate Trends / by K R Balasubramanyam, ET Bureau / November 23rd, 2015
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