Community

P10
Community
A free
screening of
acclaimed
documentary Tashi and
the Monk will be held at
Grand Hyatt Doha’s Al Silia
Ballroom this evening.
P20
Community
Nepalese
expats bag
prizes and
recognition in
a non-resident
singing and
dancing contest.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Jumada I 22, 1437 AH
DOHA
18°C—28°C TODAY
LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE 13
PUZZLES 14 & 15
Queen of
all she runs
Teudon Morgan, a
Nigerian mother of four,
is simply inspiration
personified. P4-5
COVER
STORY
RECOGNITION: Officially, the fastest female to run a half marathon on each continent.
2
GULF TIMES Wednesday, March 2, 2016
COMMUNITY
ROUND & ABOUT
PRAYER TIME
Fajr
Shorooq (sunrise)
Zuhr (noon)
Asr (afternoon)
Maghreb (sunset)
Isha (night)
4.40am
5.57am
11.46am
3.07pm
5.38pm
7.08pm
USEFUL NUMBERS
Emergency
999
Worldwide Emergency Number
112
Kahramaa – Electricity and Water
991
Ooredoo Telephone Assistance
111
Local Directory
180
International Calls Enquires
150
Time
141, 140
Doha International Airport
40106666
Labor Department
44508111, 44406537
Medical Commission
44679111
Mowasalat Taxi
44588888
Qatar Airways
44496000
Weather Forecast
44656590
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
Qatar University
44033333
Kings of Egypt
GENRE: Adventure, Fantasy
CAST: Brenton Thwaites, Nikolaj
Coster-Waldau, Gerard Butler
DIRECTION: Alex Proyas
Unnatural
GENRE: Horror,
Action, Thriller
CAST: James
Remar, Sherilyn Fenn,
Ron Carlson
DIRECTION: Hank
Braxtan
SYNOPSIS:
Global climate change
prompts a scientific
corporation to
genetically modify
Alaskan polar bears
with horrific and
deadly results. The
film’s story begins
with a mutation. An
animal experiment
escapes and this
man-eater lays waste
to hikers, hunters and
anyone else alone in
the wild.
ote Unquote
u
Q
You’re
only here for a short
visit. Don’t hurry, don’t
worry. And be sure to smell the
flowers along the way.
— Walter Hagen
Community Editor
Kamran Rehmat
e-mail: community@gulf-times.com
Telephone: 44466405
Fax: 44350474
SYNOPSIS: Mortal hero Bek teams
with the king Horus in an alliance
against Set, the merciless king of
darkness who has usurped Egypt’s
throne, plunging the once peaceful
THEATRES:
Landmark, The Mall,
Royal Plaza
Mall Cinema (1): Barbie: Spy Squad
(2D) 2.15pm; Unnatural (2D) 3.30pm;
The Faith Of Anna Waters (2D) 5pm;
Deadpool (2D) 6.45pm; Action Herio
Biju (Malayalam) 8.45pm; Kings Of
Egypt (2D) 11.15pm.
Mall Cinema (2): Aarathu Sinam
(Tamil) 2pm; Barbie : Spy Squad (2D)
4.15pm; Zoolander 2 (2D) 5.45pm; Kings
of Egypt (2D) 7.30pm; Colonia (2D)
9.30pm; Zoolander 2 (2D) 11.30pm.
Mall Cinema (3): Kanithan (Tamil)
2pm; Action Hero Biju (Malayalm)
4.30pm; Neerja (Hindi) 7pm; The
Revenant (2D) 9.15pm; Tere Bin Laden
(Hindi) 11.30pm.
Cinema Land Mark (1): Action Hero
and prosperous empire into chaos and
conflict.
THEATRES: The Mall, Landmark,
Royal Plaza
Debate
FCC
Charchavedi,
a discussion
forum, is
organising
a debate
based on
contemporary
Indian social
context.
Eminent
personalities
from different
walks of life
including
the media,
politics and
socio-cultural areas are to participate in
the discussions on Nation, Nationalism,
Democracy and Contemporary reading.
The programme is scheduled to start by
7.30pm at FCC auditorium on March
3. “Members from the public can also
participate in the discussions”, informed
the organisers in a press relase. More
details can be obtained from 44661213,
66572518
Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (1):
Barbie : Spy Squad (2D) 2.15pm; Barbie :
Spy Squad (2D) 3.30pm; Deadpool (2D)
5pm; Kings Of Egypt (2D) 7pm; Kings
Biju (Malayalm) 2.15pm; Colonia (2D)
Of Egypt (2D) 9.15pm; Kings Of Egypt
4.45pm; The Faith Of Anna Waters
(2D) 6.45pm; Kanithan (Tamil) 8.30pm; (2D) 11.30pm.
Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (2):
Action Hero Biju (Malayalm) 11pm.
Colonia (2D) 3pm; Neerja (Hindi)
Cinema Land Mark (2): Barbie : Spy
Squad (2D) 2.30pm; Barbie : Spy Squad 5pm; Zoolander 2 (2D) 7.15pm;
Deadpool (2D) 9pm; Zoolander 2
(2D) 4pm; Deadpool (2D) 5.30pm;
Zoolander 2 (2D) 7.30pm; Zoolander 2 (2D) 11.15pm.
Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (3):
(2D) 9.30pm; Deadpool (2D) 11.15pm.
Unnatural (2D) 3pm; The Faith Of
Cinema Land Mark (3): Aarathu
Anna Waters (2D) 5pm; Unnatural (2D)
Sinam (Tamil) 3pm; Unnatural (2D)
6.45pm; Colonia (2D) 8.45pm; The
5pm; Kings Of Egypt (2D) 6.30pm;
Revenant (2D) 8.45pm; Deadpool (2D)
Kings Of Egypt (2D) 8.30pm; The
11.30pm.
Revenant (2D) 10.45pm.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Lecture
As part of the ongoing campaign on
the topic of ‘Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
Greatest of The Mankind’ being organised
by Sheikh Abdulla bin Zayed al-Mahmoud
Islamic Cultural Centre, advocate Mayan
Kutty Mather, senior lawyer in high court of
Kerala, will deliver his speech.
Date: March 4
Time: 6:30pm to 9:30pm
Venue: Fanar Auditorium
Programme will be in English. Separate
arrangement has been made for ladies. All
faiths are welcome.
For more details: Contact 44369719,
70027745, 55478103, 55213167.
E-mail: qmic@qmicqatar.org
Mayan Kutty Mather
Reduced Shakespeare Company
DATE: March 11
TIME: 1-8pm
VENUE: Katara Drama Theatre
Join and enjoy the fun and laughter and
see 37 Plays in 97 Minutes! An irreverent,
fast-paced romp through the Bard’s plays,
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
(abridged) was London’s longest-running
comedy having clocked a very palpable
nine years in London’s West End at the
Criterion Theatre! Join these madcap men
as they weave their wicked way through all
of Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories and
Tragedies in one wild ride that will leave you
breathless and helpless with laughter.
Baby & Kids World Qatar 2016
DATE: March 21-23
VENUE: Doha Convention Center
Elan Events and Fira Barcelona announce
the very first Baby & Kids World exhibition
taking place in Doha from the March 21-23
at Doha Exhibition & Convention Center
(DECC). Baby & Kids World Qatar will be
held as a business-to-business platform
with a full range of children’s needs: child
care, maternity, children’s fashion, toys,
education and food, in addition to a festival
dedicated to families giving companies an
opportunity to interact with end consumers
directly.
Blood Donation Campaign
KMCA (Karnataka Muslim Cultural
Association), a socio-cultural organisation
in Doha, is all set to hold its annual blood
donation campaign on March 4 (Friday)
from 8.30am to 11.30am at blood donors
unit, Hamad Medical Corporation. President
of the forum Niyaz Ahmed and Head of
Special Needs Committee M Iqbal Manna
has appealed to all the Indian expatriate
community members to join this noble cause
by donating blood. Members/well-wishers
can reach Manna Mobile 55253904 or Muneer
Sheikh 55293017
3
COMMUNITY
ROUND & ABOUT
EVENTS
GULF TIMES
The Great British Festival Qatar
DATE: March 6-19
The Great British Festival Qatar 2016 will
celebrate UK culture, education, tourism and
business. The festival will feature a number
of events organised by the British Council,
the British Embassy and others, including
an inter-school football competition, an
education fair and a pop-up science event.
Also, as the UK is marking 400 years since
Shakespeare’s death, the best of Shakespeare
will be celebrated through a number of film,
music and theatre events. For more details,
please visit: https://www.facebook.com/
britfestqa/
01 Mall Novo Cinemas 3×3 Basketball
Tour
DATE: March 10-12
VENUE: Ain Khalid
QSports and Qatar Basketball Federation
invite you to participate in the eagerly
awaited 01 Mall Novo Cinemas 3×3 Basketball
Tour 2016 to be held inside the 01 Mall in
Ain Khalid. As part of QSports Mall Jam
programme, exciting cash prizes of over
QR22,000 will be awarded to top three teams
in each division. The venue is a specially
constructed FIBA approved court inside the
01 Mall!
Spring Fest
DATE: March 11
TIME: 1pm-6pm
VENUE: Gems American Academy
Delicious food, weekend bazar, art display
and much more. Come one, come all and be
a part of this exciting spring festival at Gems
American Academy. To top it up you can also
enjoy outdoor cinema under the twinkling
stars, at 6in the evening. Please get Qatari Id
for adults and children over 12 years.
Discovering the Birds of Qatar
Talk by Neil G Morris, Consultant
Ornithologist
Date: Today
Time: 7pm
Light refreshments from 6:30pm — Q and
A afterwards
Where: Doha English Speaking School
(DESS), Madinat Khalifa South
Synopsis
Using many of his own photographs taken
in Qatar, Neil’s presentation will describe the
common, and not so common, birds of Qatar’s
cities, coasts, farmlands and desert. From the
familiar and cheerful Bulbuls found in gardens
and parklands, to the elusive and endangered
Coursers of the desert, Neil will offers tips on
when and where to find birds in Qatar and how
to identify them. And drawing on the latest
migration tracking studies, Neil will reveal some
of the perilous — and surprising — journeys
that bring so many bird species to Qatar.
The use of ever-more sophisticated research
technologies is now providing a remarkable
window into the challenges faced by birds, the
impact of mankind on their populations and
their future survival prospects. There will be a
chance to see many of the species Neil describes
during two birdwatching field trips following
the presentation, led by Neil and fellow QBRC
member Simon Tull. More details on the QNHG
website: www.qnhg.org
Symbols of Latin America and
Caribbean
DATE: Until March 15
TIME: 7pm-10pm
VENUE: Katara Art Studio Bldg 19
Documentary photographs that represent
11 Latin American countries in five categories
which are the capital of the country, the
national animal, the national plant or
flower, the national dish; and the historical
monument.
Aspire Tennis Cup – Men
DATE: March 11-19
VENUE: Aspire zone
Aspire Zone will organise the first edition
of Aspire Tennis Cup - Men for four days (two
weekends) on March 11, 12, 18, 19, 2016 from
4pm to 8pm. Registration fees: QR100 per
participant (paid during technical meeting).
The tournament is open for men aged 18 years
and above and will include two categories:
First category: doubles match for 12 teams of
participants aged 18 to 39.
Discover Bulgaria
DATE: March 3-4
TIME: 6pm
VENUE: InterContinental Doha
Join us at InterContinental Doha Beach
Front lawn for a one night full of traditional
live Bulgarian music by guest band Pendara
Ethno Project and with lots of dancing and
vibrant Balkan vibes played by guest DJ
“Adin”. Savour the delicious and authentic
Bulgarian dishes, especially prepared by our
guest Bulgarian chefs.
Al-Shaqab International Competition
DATE: Until March 5
VENUE: Al-Shaqab Main Arena
Al-Shaqab, member of Qatar Foundation,
will organise the fourth edition of its
International Equestrian Competition, with
the participation of the best national and
international horses and riders to battle
for one of the most coveted titles in the
equestrian calendar. The four-day event will
feature three equestrian disciplines: jumping,
dressage and para-dressage.
Qatar International Food Festival
DATE: March 22-28
VENUE: MIA Park
Qatar Tourism Authority will organise the
seventh edition of Qatar International Food
Festival under the theme “a different side of
food”. This year’s festival will be extended to
seven days and expanded to other landmarks
and eateries, including: the Pearl-Qatar and
Katara Cultural Village. Chinese food lovers
will also have plenty to look forward to, with
Chinese cuisine featuring as part of “QatarChina 2016 Year of Culture” celebrations.
Pakistan Cultural Festival
DATE: March 31-April 3
VENUE: Katara Cultural Village
Biggest made in Pakistan expo, ethnic food
street, huge kids zone, live musical concert by
Pakistani singers, folk dancers, performances
and more.
Shrek the Musical!
DATE: March 9-19
TIME: 7:30pm
VENUE: QNCC Theatre
Shrek the Musical! tells the touching
story of a hulking green ogre who, after
being mocked, feared his entire life by
anything that crosses his path, retreats
to an ugly green swamp to exist in happy
isolation.
Al Gannas
DATE: Until Oct 30
TIME: 9am - 11:30 am
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.
Winter Weekends at Aspire Zone
DATE: Until March 24
TIME: 4pm-9pm
VENUE: Aspire Park
Aspire Zone Foundation invites you to come
along with your family and friends, and to bring
your kids every Thursday for outdoor sport
fun activities, including football, volleyball,
competitions and games for boys and girls, from
4pm to 9pm.
Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Summit
DATE: March 10-12
VENUE: Hajar Auditorium
Hamad Medical Corporation will organise
the Third Qatar International Metabolic
and Bariatric Surgery Summit with the
participation of distinguished keynote
speakers and panelists who will share
their experiences through lectures and
discussions on bariatric and metabolic
surgery techniques. The summit will feature
live sessions to provide technical knowledge
from experts around the world and support
specialists to adopt new techniques in their
practice for revisional and complicated
bariatric surgeries.
Economic Development Forum
DATE: March 7-8
VENUE: Sheraton Doha Hotel
The Entrepreneurship in Economic
Development Forum forum aims to further
highlight the importance of entrepreneurship
as a vital element in economic development
and an engine for private sector growth and
diversity. It will bring together officials, policy
makers, academics, educational institutions,
universities, businessmen, bank leaders,
financial institutions and economists from all
over the world.
Childhood Cultural Center
DATE: Until March 31
TIME: 9am-10:30am
VENUE: Katara
Childhood Cultural Center participation
in ‘Schools Enrich our Culture’ programme
includes a variety of educational and artistic
workshops.
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.
FOODIE CHOICE
RESTAURANT: Shisha Terrace
LOCATION: Four Seasons
Discover the relaxing atmosphere of the
Shisha Terrace at Four Seasons Hotel Doha.
Compiled by Nausheen Shaikh. E-mail: gtlisting@gmail.com, Events and timings subject to change
4
GULF TIMES Wednesday, March 2, 2016
COMMUNITY
COVER STORY
MEET THE ‘OFFICIALLY
Teudon Morgan, the fastest female on the planet to complete a half
marathon on each continent and then the North Pole besides all seven
continents, puts it all down to God’s grace. By Umer Nangiana
CERTIFIED TO A TEE: She intends to continue achieving more records.
F
astest female on earth to
complete a half marathon
on each continent
and then the North
Pole besides all seven
continents, she is now officially
into Guinness book of World
Records.
The time for running the race
aside, the feat required extensive
travel round the globe. She took
only 10 days, 23hrs and 37mins to
record the fastest time to run a half
marathon on each continent (female).
Combine the North Pole
marathon, often referred as the
World’s Coolest Marathon, with
the seven continents and she
achieved it in 62 days, 12 hours, 58
minutes and 49 seconds, fastest
for any woman on earth so far. This
has been officially confirmed by
Guinness.
Teudon Morgan, a Nigerian
expatriate and a mother of four
boys rediscovered herself some
eight years ago. Determined to
change her life, she set off to
change her lifestyle first. It started
with getting her obese body back
in shape. She weighed 121kg in
2008. She reduced it by almost half
within a year.
And then she discovered
running. Since then, there has been
no looking back for Tuedon (Tee),
43. Once she started running, the
records came along.
“When I was a child, my parents
bought every copy of the Guinness
World Records that was published.
I remember saying to myself that
one day that will be me. But as I got
older and started fighting with my
weight, I felt my dreams were farfetched,” Tee tells Community.
That was until she met Ziyad
Rahim, a Pakistani expatriate and
a fellow marathoner who is now a
multiple Guinness World Records
title holder for his marathon
running. This record, Tee says, was
his idea.
And she did no special training
for the challenge, just her regular
runs. However, she believes
training for a marathon is like
taking on a second full time job.
Living in the Middle East where
temperatures in the summer could
be close to 50 degrees Celsius
and the terrain is really flat,
flying to Antarctica where you
have temperatures of -22 degrees
calculus or the North Pole of -42
degrees Celsius “is different to say
the least.”
“I run 10 km, five days a week. I
cross train a lot and do core work.
I don’t run very fast as that isn’t
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
GULF TIMES
5
COMMUNITY
COVER STORY
AMAZING’ WOMAN
Tee recently
completed her
51st marathon
in her 40th
country. She
intends to run
hundreds of
marathons in
lots of countries
and continue to
meet new people
and inspire them
LOSING WEIGHT, GAINING GROUND: Tee Morgan achieved an incredible
transformation all by her own effort.
MARATHON WOMAN: Tee has run dozens of marathons all over the world
since she started running a few years ago.
POLE FINISHER: Finishing the North Pole marathon was a dream come true
for Tee.
one of my goals, but I put in the
work. Honestly, I had no special
training for this attempt,” says
Tee.
The most challenging part
of the attempt for her was not
getting enough sleep. They would
finish a race and would fly over to
the next race.
“I was so tired and extremely
hungry. But the worst came when
flying from New York City to
South America as the airlines
ran out of water. By the time we
landed in South America we had
two hours to check in to the hotel
and get ready for the race again.
My feet were twice their normal
size and I was worried my shoes
wouldn’t fit,” recalls Tee.
The North Pole Marathon
follows. It is no easy feat as
it is not run on land. It is
essentially running on frozen
water. Antarctica, she observes,
was also impossible to train for, as
she runs on a flat surface in Qatar
and training to run on hills can be
challenging.
Tee says her ‘Triple Seven
quest’ was supposed to be
completed in a week. That’s the
three “sevens” in the name, seven
continents, seven races, seven
days.
And they would have made it
but the weather over the South
Pole turned cranky and slowed
things down before they could get
that last race in so they turned
back to go to South America and
finally got in on the 9th day.
“We slept on airplanes, ran
sometimes in the middle of the
night and went days without
showers. We spent 60 hours on
airplanes just getting to the races.
At one point, we touched down
on three continents, and ran three
marathons, in about 40 hours,”
says Tee.
But all of it was worth it when
she got a notification on her
phone one fine day. She was asked
to log on to her page.
“My hands were shaking and I
felt tears down my cheeks. This
record means so much to me. My
heath was really deteriorating
NEAT FEAT: Tee has been officially recognised by the Guinness World
Records.
and the doctors continuously told
me I had to change my lifestyle,”
Tee recalls the moment she got to
know about her records.
“All I wanted was to lose weight
but the more I pushed myself the
more I wanted. Running the Seven
continents twice and becoming
the first Nigerian to run all Seven
Continents and the North Pole
to top it up with a GWR means so
much. I am Officially Amazing,”
she smiles.
Tee believes it was with the help
of God that she has been able to
achieve all this. “Looking back
now I know it was the hand of
God. To run the North Pole under
those conditions with no training
what so ever, it only takes God’s
grace,” she tells Community.
Initially, it was all about the
weight loss before she discovered
running. She soon realised that it
was a holistic approach of mind,
body and soul. She had to learn
to eat right and it came to her
eventually.
The minute she started to learn
more about food and the effect it
has on the body and running, she
says, she started to realise that
her body can only take so much at
certain times during the day.
“I like to think that I eat right. I run
six days a week and cycle, too. Am
learning to swim and someday will
take it all to another level,” says Tee,
talking about how she maintains her
fitness post weight loss.
She intends to run hundreds of
marathons in lots of countries and
continue to meet new people and
inspire them.
Tee recently completed her
51st marathon in her 40th
country. She participated in The Z
adventure Cruise marathons and
they travelled to six countries and
ran six marathons.
“That was an Epic experience
and my first time on a Cruise. I
know I want more Guinness World
Records titles,” says the marathon
runner.
Next up, she wants to attempt a
record in cycling, Fastest journey
from Land’s End to John-O’Groats by bicycle (female) and
one day Fastest circumnavigation
by bicycle (female). It would
sure require a lot of commitment
and focus but she is “mentally
preparing herself for it.”
6
GULF TIMES Wednesday, March 2, 2016
COMMUNITY
TNG organises marathon
to promote sports
GROUP PHOTO: The winners in multiple categories with Ziyad Rahim, holder of 10 Guinness World Records in long-distance running.
T
he Next Generation
(TNG) School recently
organised a marathon
in collaboration with
Z Adventures Event
Company.
The marathon was arranged under
the guidance of Ziyad Rahim, CEO
of Z Adventures and a holder of 10
Guinness World Records in longdistance running, the most by any
distance-runner in the world.
TNG staff made early morning
arrangements to set up registration
and refreshment stations. Runners
from 34 different nationalities
participated in 42km, 21km, 10km
and 5km races. The event was part
of the 6 Race Qatar Running Series,
a non-profit initiative created by Z
Adventures to promote health and
fitness in Qatar.
TNG students took part in the
Kiddie Fun Run along with their
parents at 8am and received their
race bibs from the staff. With high
spirits and energy, students above
the age of ten registered for the 1.4km
distance race and those below ten
years registered for the 750metres
distance race.
Pakistan Embassy Defence Attache
Rashid Nizam was the chief guest.
School Director Riyaz Ahmed
Bakali said in his opening remarks,
“TNG aims to personify students
with leadership qualities and this
can only be achieved by excellence
in academics and keeping physically
fit. Physical and mental fitness are
COMPETITION: Students at the Kiddie Fun Run.
related and a balanced approach can
enable students to produce better
results.”
Ziyad Rahim thanked all the
student and TNG Staff for their
contribution. “I would first like to
thank Riyaz Bakali for sponsoring and
the TNG staff for putting together
a great event. Considering it was
their first time arranging a marathon
event, they put up a tremendous
show. So hats off to the entire team.
I am happy to see so many young
children waking up early on a Friday
morning to take part in this event.
Most of the kids I saw today are
natural athletes and with a bit of
training and mentoring can progress
and compete at the junior level in
track & field. Sports and academics
should always go hand in hand and
it thrills me to see the school taking
such a great initiative. I wish them all
the very best of luck.”
Winners were awarded with
medals and certificates in the end.
Abdul Hannan from Year V B,
Haadiya Fayyaz from Year IV C and
Zuha Minhas from Year II B secured
the first, second and third positions
respectively in their categories.
Christian Carlos Barrios from
Year VIIB, Ahmed Sameh from Year
VII B and Umair Muhammad from
Year VIIB secured first, second and
third positions respectively in their
categories.
Zoya Salman from Year VA
bagged the first position, while
Sumaiya Ibrahim Umaru from Year
VA amd Alman Minhas from Year
IV-A finished second and third in
their categories. Students were
also presented with certificates of
participation.
ACTIVE LIFESTYLE: The aim of
the event was to promote sports for
a healthier living.
Pakistan Embassy Defence Attache Rashid Nizam giving one of the winners
his medal.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
GULF TIMES
7
COMMUNITY
BPS wins
silver in
CBSE Qatar
Cluster Chess
Tournament
The Birla Public School team won
silver medal in the CBSE Qatar
Cluster Chess Tournament in the
Under-14 age group. Seen here is
the team with the vice-principal
of the school and the head of the
department of physical education.
Call for volunteers at
‘Friends of Al Shaqab’
Qatar Foundation member Al Shaqab
has called upon people in Qatar to
volunteer for its in-house program,
“Friends of Al Shaqab”.
Headed by Fatin al-Sada, Al Shaqab
Head of HR and Volunteer Program
Manager, the program aims to work
towards building a healthy community
of diverse volunteers, who believe in
their capacity to make a difference
through volunteerism.
“Friends of Al Shaqab” has provided
volunteers for and supported various
major events in Al Shaqab such
as CHI Al Shaqab, Longines Global
Champions Tour, Champions of
Champions, Horse Auctions, Garangao
Festival and other Qatar Foundation
events such as National Sports Day,
Ramadan Camp, and Al Bawasil Camp
of Qatar Diabetes Association. Due to
the success of the program and good
DPS-MIS
felicitates
support staff
The DPS-Modern Indian School
organised its “Support Staff
Felicitation Function” recently.
The school acknowledged and
appreciated the contributions of the
support staff, comprising members
of the Housekeeping, Transport
and Security departments. The
occasion was graced by special
guests Lt Muhammed Munwir
al-Shammri, traffic officer at South
Security Department, MOI; Faisal
al-Hudawi, community reach
out office co-ordinator, MOI; and
members of the school’s executive
committee. Each member of the
support staff was presented with a
token of appreciation by the school
management. Those with 100%
attendance were also honoured,
as well as employees who have
completed five or 10 years with the
school.
reputation, “Friends of Al Shaqab” has
been requested by other entities as
well to support them in their events
and activities.
The program currently has about
3,000 volunteers in its database.
They come from a wide range of
various nationalities, gender and
age. The program also supports
and encourages individuals with
special needs to join and be involved.
Although those below 18 years of age
need to secure approval from their
parents or guardians to register for
“Friends of Al Shaqab”.
The program is handled by the
Human Resources of Al Shaqab and
they are constantly inviting volunteers
to register for the program through Al
Shaqab’s official website.
More information is available on www.
alshaqab.com
CINE
8
GULF TIMES Wednesday, March 2, 2016
COMMUNITY
DeBakey students learn first-hand about nutritious food
Students of Grade 8 at DeBakey High School-Qatar prepared lunch after attending a presentation from the school’s nurse on healthy meals. The food was prepared with the “healthy guidelines” in focus.
MARKETING
Next launches its Spring 16 collection
T
he Next Spring 16
collection for women is
one of texture, colour
and sophistication.
Bright sunset shades of
orange, rust and ochre are mixed
with icy, frosty pastels and accented
with ultra brights, embodying a
colour palette of seasonal hues and
misty tones.
Orange is the stand-out colour
this season and is seen throughout
the Safari collection, along with
ochre, brown and rust. Utility
style dresses with waist ties, fluid
trench coats, wide leg trousers and
pocket detail shirts are combined
with graphic print pieces to create
a super chic feel for the transition
from winter to spring.
Aimee highlights the emphasis
on detailing for spring with
voluminous sleeves, romantic ruffle
necklines and lace sheer panels on
dresses and blouses. Floral bursts
that were seen across the catwalk
are seen throughout this collection.
Marina sees coastal influences
with nautical details and motifs.
A sports presence is highlighted
in striped joggers and drawstring
jumpsuits.
The menswear for the spring
season sees a real shift in trends.
The smart casual look that has
reigned for many a season is now a
thing of the past. Formal and casual
have returned to their true forms
with more individual identities to
differentiate that work to weekend
wardrobe.
This season sees the return of
true casual wear with washed
finishes prevalent across all product
areas. Neutility sees a utilitarian
based story giving an urban feeling.
With a predominantly navy, black
and grey colour palette, this makes
a great transitional story, adding
highlights of oatmeal and tobacco
to give it that fresh update for
spring.
Shoreline demonstrates the
emphasis on blue tones for
spring. Ranging from deep dark
navy to indigo and bleached-out
pale shades, it’s the colour of
the season. This story has a real
coastal influence, with the Breton
stripe of huge importance, paired
with an ankle grazing turned-up
chino.
Formalwear takes a new direction
for spring with key changes to
colour, texture and silhouette. Past
Modern is Next’s sharp, hardedged tailoring story inspired by
the rebellious attitude of the Teddy
Boy and rock and roll music. What
would otherwise be a dark colour
palette of charcoal greys and inky
blues is now given a fresh new slant
Some of the looks from the new collection.
with stones and neutrals.
In children’s wear, Sunshine
collection features bursts of ochre
paired with blue denim. Dresses
are splashed with cool 70s inspired
florals and bold tile prints, while the
girly and effortless shapes create a
pretty boutique twist.
Ideal as a classic daytime story,
Borrowed is a preppy trend with a
vintage twist. Jersey essentials are
layered with letterman jackets and
essential denim to create a cute
tomboy feel. A sun-faded nautical
palette of dove grey and chambray
blue is mixed with pretty pinks and
a dash of raspberry to complete the
look.
Moving to a more playful trend
this season, Paint Box is an easy and
casual layering story. With pops of
fluorescent against chalky pastels,
this collection is fun and charming
and perfect for the little ones.
One Fine Day promises to be
the perfect older girl’s transitional
story, featuring simple effortless
pieces with a pretty touch.
For boys, Travel Blog promises
to be a hard-wearing adventure
story. Cargo styling and outdoors
influences can be seen on jackets
and slubby knits. Transport
graphics are seen in the tees for
baby boys and safari inspiration for
olders.
EMA
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
GULF TIMES
9
COMMUNITY
US ambassador attends Burger
King’s 20-year celebration
Burger King celebrated its 20 years in
Qatar with a special ceremony held
in Doha at its flagship Suhaim bin
Hamad street restaurant branch. US
ambassador to Qatar Dana Shell Smith,
alongside senior officials from Premier
Food Services, the exclusive franchisee
for Burger King in Qatar, attended the
ceremony.
Camille Aoun, General Manager of
Premier Food Services, thanked the
ambassador for her support and said
Burger King’s success in Qatar has been
built on core customer loyalty which
has resulted in the establishment of 23
restaurants located strategically across
the country.
The ambassador also joined Aoun
in congratulating two long serving
DESS wins the
BSME Games
The British Schools of the Middle
East (BSME) Games were held in
Bahrain this year. This prestigious
event brings together 12 schools
from all corners of the Middle
East to compete in a number of
disciplines; including, swimming,
athletics, basketball, football and
netball. Strong opposition and close
competition made for a weekend
of great sport – both on and off the
arena as the DESS team competed
in their pool competitions. Weeks
of early morning and after school
training paid off, as they earned silver
in swimming, netball and basketball,
and gold in football. These scores,
together with the crucial Athletics
score meant that once again DESS
Doha (in joint place with DESS Dubai)
are winners of the coveted BSME
Games. This is the third year in a row
that DESS Doha has brought the
winner’s trophy home.
employees who have each completed
two decades of service at Burger King
Qatar. Ambassador Smith welcomed
the “partnerships between American
and Qatari businesses,” and said “we
are pleased to celebrate Burger King’s
20th anniversary in Qatar during
Discover America Week.”
During the visit, the ambassador took
the time to engage with the staff and
also reminisced on her days in college
when a ‘Whopper Jr.’ meal from Burger
King was a regular weekend reward.
To celebrate the anniversary, Burger
King offered all customers visiting its
first restaurant in Suhaim bin Hamad,
which opened in 1996, a free dessert to
accompany their meals amidst a fun
environment for families and children.
10 GULF TIMES Wednesday, March 2, 2016
COMMUNITY
The spiritual over mate
The acclaimed documentary by Johnny Burke and Andrew Hinton is being screened
BOND: Tashi and the monk.
By Anand Holla
T
he moving tale of a
Buddhist monk who
devoted his life to tending
to homeless children and
the emotional journey
of one such adorable child Tashi,
unfolds on the big screen in Doha
today.
A special, free screening of the
much-acclaimed documentary
Tashi and the Monk by filmmakers
Johnny Burke and Andrew Hinton
will be held at Grand Hyatt Doha’s Al
Silia Ballroom at 7pm today.
Around eight years ago, monk
Lobsang Phuntsok, who was handpicked by the Dalai Lama to share
Tibetan Buddhism with the West,
gave up as a spiritual teacher in
the US and returned to the region
of his birth to rescue homeless
children.
Ever since, Phuntsok has built a
unique community in the foothills of
the Himalayas called Jhamtse Gatsal
(Tibetan for ‘The Garden of Love and
Compassion’), which makes for a
permanent home for 85 orphaned or
Filmmaker Johnny Burke.
abandoned children, all of who learn
to live compassionately.
As Phuntsok overcomes numerous
challenges to keep the initiative
running on a remote mountaintop
surrounded by poverty, the film
weaves in the story of Tashi Drolma,
Jhamtse’s newest arrival who
recently lost her mother and was
abandoned by her alcoholic father.
Tashi struggles initially to find
her place amongst 84 new siblings.
Filmmaker Andrew Hinton.
Gradually, as Phuntsok and the
community work their magic,
we witness her transformation
from alienation and tantrums into
someone capable of making her
first real friend. The atmosphere
of warmth and support at Jhamtse
Gatsal provides a backdrop to the
unfolding stories.
On the eve of its screening here,
Community caught up with Burke
for a chat:
Q. How did you first learn
about this story and what about
it made you and Andrew swing
into action and make a film on it?
Andrew was in India doing a
project when he got a phone call
from an American film production
company. They wanted him to go
to the remotest and poorest part of
India, Arunachal Pradesh, to film
an American high school student
who was helping out at the Jhamtse
Gatsal children’s community. Once
Andrew was there, he got talking to
Lobsang, ‘the monk’, and realised he
had an amazing life story.
Andrew returned to England
to tell me about the place, and we
decided to make a film about the
community. We were particularly
inspired by the amazing atmosphere
at the community, and the success
they were having using simple love
and compassion to help cure kids
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
GULF TIMES
11
COMMUNITY
erialism
d at Grand Hyatt Doha today
BIG PERSONALITY: Tashi in a scene from the film.
HOME: Jhamtse Gatsal is home to 85 orphaned or abandoned children.
The poster of the film.
who had undergone severe trauma at
a young age.
Q. Phuntsok faces several
difficulties to run Jhamtse
Gatsal. What did you find to be
his biggest challenge?
Tashi was clearly the biggest
day-to-day challenge that Lobsang
and all the other staff were facing.
With her tantrums and spitting and
biting, she was a real handful. But
the truly biggest challenge Lobsang
faced was dealing with having to say
no to so many kids who wanted to
enter the community.
With 84 children, they were
already sleeping two to a bed and
couldn’t accept any more. He had
said no to more than 1,000 kids
already when we were there, and
it weighed very heavily on him,
knowing that saying no could mean
the difference between life and death
for that child.
Q. The place seems to resonate
with warmth and kindness.
What sense did you get from the
atmosphere at Jhamtse Gatsal
and how did you manage to
capture it in your film?
The atmosphere at the community
is truly amazing; the kids and the
staff are all very open-hearted. Not
having much in the way of material
possessions, they appreciate the
smallest things. Andrew and I both
felt incredibly privileged to spend
time there, and both felt our own
spirits lifted by the infectious energy
of the kids.
The key to capturing it on film is
time and patience. We were there
for nearly three months filming, and
in that time the kids gradually got
so used to us that they completely
ignored us, and it’s at that moment
that you are able to see and capture
what is really happening.
Q. You seem to have both
witnessed and filmed Tashi’s
transformation. What are your
impressions of Tashi?
One of the teachers said of Tashi
that she is “a big personality in a
small body” and that “when she
is older, she would either be the
President of India, or the leader of
a rebel gang of bandits living in the
mountains, and it was impossible
to say which direction she would
go, but either way, she would be
impactful on her surroundings”.
To us, Tashi was an incredible gift,
a bundle of activity who every time
we filmed her would give us amazing
A scene from the film.
scenes for the film: sometimes very
naughty (fighting in the classroom),
other times very funny and playful,
and then some other times haunting
and tragic. Filming Tashi was
wonderful as she was always up to
some mischief.
Q. What about this film makes
it an important watch?
The film has now won 17 awards,
including two prizes at the IDA,
the International Documentary
Association, which is the
documentary equivalent of the
Oscars. Audience feedback tells us
that they are responding both to the
powerful subject matter but also to
the way we have made the film.
We were determined to keep
the film-making style simple
and sensitive. Rather than have a
narrator leading you through the
film, we allowed the film to speak
for itself, and let the audience
experience their own personal
journey. The film seems to trigger
people’s memories of their own
childhood, both good and bad.
Q. Are there lessons on life to
be gleaned from it?
We feel the film is important to
watch as it carries a message to a
worldwide audience that the spirit
in which you live is more important
than the material possessions you
have. Lobsang has turned the pain
of his own troubled childhood
(abandoned by his mother in an
outside toilet, and left to die), into a
positive ambition, which is to make
sure that no child experiences what
he had to go through. He is a true
inspiration to both Andrew and
myself, and anyone who watches the
film.
Also in an age where many
troubled children are treated
medically with drugs such as antidepressants, we see Jhamtse Gatsal
offering another way: that a simple
formula of love and kindness can, in
fact, heal even the deepest wounds.
12 GULF TIMES Wednesday, March 2, 2016
COMMUNITY
INFOGRAPHIC
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
GULF TIMES
13
COMMUNITY
Real reasons why grandma won’t eat — and
how you can help improve her nutrition
LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE
E
very parent knows good
nutrition is critical for
your kids, and getting
them to eat well can be an
on-going struggle. But
what if you’re also helping care for
an ageing parent? Ensuring older
adults eat well can be even more
frustrating than getting children
to eat right, but it’s every bit as
important.
It’s not uncommon for sandwich
generation caregivers to say it’s
more difficult to get their senior
parents to eat well than it is their
kids. There’s a level of parental
authority when managing
children’s diets that’s not there
when dealing with seniors who —
for whatever reason — are resistant
to improving their diets. Yet good
nutrition is essential for a senior’s
overall good health.
Seniors who struggle to eat well
or who seem disinterested in a good
diet aren’t just being stubborn. A
number of physiological changes
can affect appetite for older adults.
Factors that influence appetite in
seniors can include:
z Decreased caloric needs — A
moderately active woman older
than 50 needs about 1,600 calories
a day, and a 50-plus man who is
moderately active needs about
2,200-2,400. Sedentary seniors
will likely require fewer calories,
and those who are very active may
require more.
z Gastrointestinal changes —
Age-related changes in the stomach
and intestines can make seniors feel
full sooner and remain feeling full
for longer.
z Loss of taste and smell — As
people age, their ability to smell and
taste can diminish. Medications
may also affect how things taste
and smell to seniors. Both senses
are tied to appetite; seniors may
say they don’t want to eat because
nothing tastes good to them.
z Dental or oral health — Seniors
who experience oral issues, such
as mouth ulcers or ill-fitting
dentures, may find eating to be
uncomfortable or even painful. Dry
mouth is very common and may
ARIES
March 21 — April 19
If you feel you are stuck in the middle of something you wish you
weren’t today Aries, find a loophole. Get out before you are well and
truly stuck in the middle!
CANCER
June 21 — July 22
Avoid being put in a difficult position today Cancers. Friends,
family, partners may ask you to choose between each other or pit
themselves against each other. Do your best to remain neutral.
LIBRA
September 23 — October 22
Mercury and Venus the 2 personal planets of the zodiac spend their
last full week in your romance zone before moving into emotional
Pisces, your health and wellbeing zone. Make an all–out effort to
either find love or make your love life that much sweeter.
CAPRICORN
December 22 — January 19
Be careful with what you say and how you say it today Capricorns.
Sometimes you can come across as being a bit overbearing with
your words of wisdom.
be related to medications or an
underlying medical problem.
z Illness — Some diseases can
cause a decrease in appetite, or
medications to treat illness or
chronic health issues may also
affect the desire to eat.
z Depression — Seniors who feel
lonely or depressed may be less
inclined to eat.
z Dementia — If they’re
experiencing dementia or
Alzheimer’s, seniors may simply
forget to eat meals.
z Encourage more flavourful but
healthful food choices to combat
a diminished ability to taste and
smell. Adding herbs and spices to
meals can help an elder more enjoy
the taste of food. However, avoid
increasing salt intake, as higher
sodium levels can be associated
with increased blood pressure.
z Drink plenty of water
and fluids. Only take vitamins
and supplements if you have a
demonstrated deficiency and then
with the guidance of a physician,
nutritionist or dietician. Excesses
of vitamins and supplements may
be harmful.
z Seniors who eat less due to
depression or loneliness may
benefit from a senior living
situation where they never have
to eat alone, and professionals
TAURUS
April 20 — May 20
Be open to some constructive criticism today bulls. While no one
likes being criticised, sometimes it’s necessary when you are doing
things that are time wasting or not good for you.
LEO
July 23 — August 22
Mercury and Venus the two personal planets of the zodiac spend
their last few days hand in hand in your relationship zone. This is a
great time for you to deal with any and all personal matters Leos.
SCORPIO
October 23 — November 21
Don’t let yourself down today by failing to move forward with
something you believe in passionately. Sure, time gets away from
us all and there are always priorities and more important things to
do...but if you can check this off your ‘to do’ list, it will be a major
accomplishment.
AQUARIUS
January 20 — February 18
If you have been putting off a conversation you have needed to have
for some time, this is the day to just say whatever’s on your mind
and get it off your chest and your calendar!
are on hand to offer guidance and
nutritious meals.
z Share meals with your loved
one. No one likes to eat alone, and
sitting down together for a meal —
even if you only have a cup of coffee
while they eat — can help seniors
enjoy their food more.
©Brandpoint
GEMINI
May 21 — June 20
The Moon shines again in Sagittarius, your opposite sign and
relationship zone today, making it the perfect time for you to
organise something fun with friends.
VIRGO
August 23 — September 22
Jupiter, the planet of ’bigger is better’ remains out of phase through
mid–May in your sign. It’s time to play ’catch up’ Virgos and get
everything in place for his return.
SAGITTARIUS
November 22 — December 21
In your third house of busy activities and communication, Mercury
and Venus are being very helpful in providing you a wonderful
assortment of friends to help you get all those things done that you
don’t particularly enjoy doing.
PISCES
February 19 — March 20
In your past karma and self–renewal zone, Mercury and Venus have
managed to bring a lot of people from your past into your current
and present. While it’s never easy dealing with ex’s and the painful
feelings they can dredge up, once it’s done it’s done.
14 GULF TIMES Wednesday, March 2, 2016
COMMUNITY
Wordsearch
Adam
Pooch Cafe
Double-U
ALUMNUS
AQUARIUM
AUBURN
AUGURY
AUTUMN
BEAUTIFUL
BOUQUET
BOUTIQUE
BUREAU
BURLESQUE
CALCULUS
CHAUFFEUR
CHIHUAHUA
CONUNDRUM
CULTURE
FURNITURE
HUBBUB
MINUSCULE
MULTITUDE
QUANTUM
STRUCTURE
SUBURB
SUNBURN
TURQUOISE
TUTU
UMLAUT
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
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
COMMUNITY
PUZZLES
Quick Clues
ACROSS
1. Delicate (6)
4. Char (6)
9. Disobedience (13)
10. Cell (7)
11. Ooze (5)
12. Nip (5)
14. Crouch (5)
18. Frequently (5)
19. Rejection (7)
21. Sweetmeats (13)
22. Airing (6)
23. Appeared (6)
GULF TIMES
Colouring
DOWN
1. Jeer (6)
2. Incompatibility (13)
3. Fabric (5)
5. Present (7)
6. Tire (3,3,2,5)
7. Took notice (6)
8. Titan (5)
13. Anxiety (7)
15. Obliged (6)
16. Rasp (5)
17. Skinned (6)
20. Iced (5)
Cryptic Clues
Answers
Wordsearch
ACROSS
1. He comes back in to tie up at the back
(6)
4. Metal rod inserted into locks (6)
9. What dedicated probate clerks do
(4,4,1,4)
10. Alas, our awakening is troubled (7)
11. A financial uplift once more (5)
12. Negotiate for something that gives
particular pleasure (5)
14. Pete’s very much inclined to change (5)
18. Is apprehensive about loud sound
receivers (5)
19. Record one short visit - that’s
reasonable (7)
21. Where to find shipmates suffering
together (2,3,4,4)
22. The return of revolutionary spirit leads
to slaughter (6)
23. Ground corn that is maize (6)
DOWN
1. Tool for making archery equipment?
(3-3)
2. Those in the dock are under his orders
(7-6)
3. Amphibia from the north and west,
maybe (5)
5. The first male colonist is unyielding (7)
6. Training establishment for rankers? (7,6)
7. Hose belonging to Jenny Lonsdale (6)
8. Where people buy a theatre seat (5)
13. When the south wind goes to the east,
it’s harsh (7)
15. A business house, we hear, to make a
definite statement (6)
16. Saga of the siege in which Paris was
involved (5)
17. Put in gear (6)
20. Bird seen back among the icebergs (5)
Codeword
Yesterday’s Solutions
QUICK
Across: 1 Considerable; 7 Plead; 8 Eaten; 9 Irk;
10 Grandiose; 11 Indian; 12 Debris; 15 Termagant;
17 Gun; 18 Rivet; 19 Shaft; 21 Interminable.
Down: 1 Conciliatory; 2 Ice; 3 Endear; 4
Amendment; 5 Lotto; 6 Unreasonable; 7 Poked;
10 Guarantee; 13 Right; 14 Hansom; 16 Raven;
20 Awn.
CRYPTIC
Across: 1 Guys and Dolls; 7 Bidet; 8 Erica; 9
Gus; 10 Landscape; 11 Orchid; 12 Confab; 15
Whodunnit; 17 Ova; 18 Lisle; 19 Sitar; 21 Playing
cards.
Down: 1 George Orwell; 2 Aid; 3 Dating; 4
Overshoot; 5 Leila; 6 Panel beaters; 7 Basic; 10
Leisurely; 13 Floor; 14 Unison; 16 Ousel; 20 Tic.
15
16 GULF TIMES Wednesday, March 2, 2016
COMMUNITY
CINEMA
Wow! Tamil cinema
is getting shorter
The poster for Aarathu Sinam.
By Gautaman Bhaskaran
L
ong years ago, that great master of
mystery, Alfred Hitchcock, quipped
that a film must be only as long as
one can hold one’s bladder. And he
made short and scary movies like
Psycho, Vertigo and The Rope among others —
films that might not have been as riveting had
they been longer.
If this were to be true in the case of
Hitchcock — whose brilliant scripts,
extraordinary craft and amazing helming
ability made him one of the greats in cinema
— one can well imagine how lesser directors
would fare, given their propensity for long,
laborious narrative, often stretching well over
three hours.
Happily, a change seems to coming over
Tamil cinema. Many of the 30-odd movies
released this year have been uniformly under
two hours or just a little over it.
Arun Kumar, whose Sethupathi was 121
minutes, said in a interview: “I think the day
is not far when there will be many films of
100-minute duration hitting the screens. This,
I think, will be backed by exhibitors too, as
they can screen five shows a day... It wasn’t a
deliberate decision to keep Sethupathi short.
Being a cop story, I wanted the movie to be
crisp without force-feeding the audience
with irrelevant scenes or elements. In spite of
this, there were a few who opined that a song
Arun Kumar’s Sethupathi was 121 minutes long, but could have benefited from even more cuts.
from the film could have been avoided,” he
concluded.
Precisely so. Sethupathi could have been
far more pulse pounding had the songs been
excised. After all, why do you need songs in a
cop-chase-culprit drama.
I am sure Sethupathi could have told us all
that it had to in just 90 minutes if Kumar had
done away with — in addition to the songs —
those meaningless scenes meant to produce
the so-called comic relief. Why do we need to
be distracted from a nail-biting narrative by
stupid jokes?
K J Venkat Ramanan, who edited Miruthan
(less than two hours), made another valid
observation. He felt that audiences might
return to a movie if it was short. They might
watch it for a second time if it is not long. “I
feel keeping the duration of a film to two hours
is a promising trend, and hence should be
encouraged, as audiences these days, prefer
narration of stories in a limited time frame.
There have been instances where audiences
find movies of even 180 minutes tedious,” he
elaborated.
Ramanan added that that even directors
had begun to shoot shorter footages. “I hardly
ever get anything beyond 180 minutes, and
this makes my job easier.” Probably, there is
less of a dilemma here. What to cut and what
to keep!
Sudha Kongara, whose Irudhi Suttru —
Madhavan’s boxing bout — played for just 112
minutes, said that she had made a conscious
decision to delate about 20 minutes from her
movie, because she felt that they hampered the
free flow of the plot.
I have always felt that a good director must
be able to say a story in just 90 minutes, as
Hitchcock so often did and with such finesse
and effect. He kept his frames so tightly knitted
that there was never a dull moment. This
certainly heightened the suspense and thrill.
But of course, Hitchcock had a set of excellent
actors like Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman, Cary
Grant, James Stewart, Gregory Peck and so on.
What more could he have asked for?
***
Aarathu Sinam
Arivazhagan’s Aarathu Sinam had an
excellent kick-off point in a story written by
Jeethu Joseph — whose Drishyam in Malayalam
was a huge hit that attracted remakes in Tamil,
Telugu and even Hindi. Like Drishyam, Joseph’s
Prithviraj-Sukumaran-starer, Memories,
translated into a Tamil edition, Aarathu Sinam,
a taut thriller, whose weak point seemed to be
its over-indulgence in emotion — not quite the
key word for a film in this genre.
However, some fine performances by the
lead pair, Arulnithi and Aishwarya Rajesh (one
remembers her as the boys’ mother in Kaaka
Muttai), elevates Aarathu Sinam to a kind of
cinema one doesn’t come across so often in
Tamil.
Here is a drunken cop, Aravind, played by
Arulnithi with consummate restraint — who
turns to alcohol for solace when he loses his
young wife (Rajesh) and daughter after a
botched up encounter with a dreaded criminal.
Years later, Aravind is cajoled and coerced
by a police commissioner (Radha Ravi) — who
understands the pain and pathos of the young
cop, as he does of his brilliant skills — to solve
the case of a serial killer. The killer murders
the husbands of four women and hangs their
corpses in the way the crucified Christ is seen
with his arms outstretched. Interestingly, the
women share a secret that goes back to their
days in an educational institute.
Arivazhagan’s script — at times impeded
by unnecessary familial squabbles — takes us
through the alleyways of a dark mind, deeply
distressed by demeaning wrongs. But are they
so humiliating for a man to turn into a monster?
We would never know, but it is here at this
point in the plot that the film appears to totter
a bit — much like the protagonist, who for most
of his screen time is drunk. Can such a cop be
capable of smart deductions, which sometimes
seem uncannily close to those used by Sherlock
Holmes — especially where Aravind concludes
from the killer’s footprints that he must be
physically disabled. But Holmes was addicted
to cocaine, some would argue in defence of
Aravind. Despite these hiccups, Aarathu
Sinam sails through a thrilling terrain to a wow
climax.
z Gautaman Bhaskaran has been
writing on Indian and world cinema for
over three decades, and may be e-mailed at
gautamanb@hotmail.com
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
GULF TIMES
17
COMMUNITY
BOLLYWOOD
Indian society more
violent and polarised
now: Ketan Mehta
By Preetha Nair
E
xpressing concern over
the student unrest in
the country, veteran
filmmaker Ketan Mehta
said that Indian society
is turning more violent and
polarised now. Mehta, known for
unconventional films like Mirch
Masala and Maya Memsaab, spoke
to IANS on the sidelines of the
third edition of the Taj Literature
Festival, which ended on Sunday.
Mehta, who is working on his
next movie Rani of Jhansi, said
that the extremely liberal face of
India is changing and it is a cause
of concern.
“India is an extremely liberal
country and its character is
changing now. I am uncomfortable
with that. We are witnessing a
violent and polarised society now,”
said Mehta, who has made a movie
Toba Tek Singh along with six
directors from India and Pakistan
to mark the 70th year of Partition.
The movie will be releasing next
month, he said. Mehta’s critically
acclaimed movie Holi, made in
1984, deals with the theme of
student rebellion on the campus.
Shot mainly on the campus of the
Film and Television Institute of
India (FTII) in Pune, the movie
strikes a chord with the current
situation in the country, said the
director.
“I made Holi in 1984 which was
about internalised violence which
society imposed upon students.
There was a strike at FTII when I
was a student there. I was reliving
the experience through the movie,”
said Mehta, adding that artistes
should resist muzzling of freedom
of expression.
“If an artiste chooses to play
CO-STARS: Mammootty, left, and Huma Qureshi.
Mammootty, Huma
wrap up White shoot
Actors Mammootty and
Huma Qureshi have wrapped
up shooting of their upcoming
Malayalam film White. Directed
by Uday Ananthan and produced
by Eros International, the film
has been shot extensively in
London, Mumbai and Kochi, read
a statement.
White marks the debut
of Huma in the southern
film industry. In the film,
Huma plays Roshni Menon, a
software engineer who moves
to London on an overseas
assignment. There, things change
unexpectedly when Prakash
Roy (Mammootty), a billionaire
enters her life. Prakash and
Roshni’s peculiar, yet charming
relationship is what takes the
story of White forward.
Apart from them, the film also
stars Shankar Ramakrishnan,
Siddique, Sunil Sugadha, Ahmad
Siddique, Manjulika, Sona Nair
and KPAC Lalita. — IANS
CANDID: Ketan Mehta
safe, he stops being an artiste. As
an artiste, I don’t have the skill and
I keep doing what I want to do,” he
said.
Speaking about the IndiaPakistan initiative, Toba Tek Singh,
which is part of Zee Entertainment
Enterprises Ltd’s Zeal For Unity
(ZFU) project, Mehta said that it’s
a phenomenal story by famous
Urdu writer Saadat Hasan Manto.
The movie talks about a mental
asylum in Lahore and what
happens when the two countries
decide to exchange the lunatics a
few years after Partition. “It is an
extremely poignant story about
the greatest human tragedy. Manto
is the maverick of the times and
Pankaj Kapur has done a great
job as Toba Tek Singh,” he said.
Talking about his next movie
Rani of Jhansi, in which Kangana
Ranaut essays the role of the
warrior queen, Mehta said the
Queen actress was the best bet for
the role.
“Rani of Jhansi is one of the
strongest woman characters in
world history. Ranaut has fire in
the belly and she has the hunger
to do something new,” said the
director, adding that the film’s
shooting will begin in October.
His next movie thereafter will
be on Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last
Mughal emperor.
“I had planned three movies as a
series. Mangal Pandey, The Rising
was the first in the series and Rani
of Jhansi is the second, which I am
currently working. The third will
be on Bahadur Shah Zafar,” he said.
— IANS
Entry in films should be made easier: Imtiaz Ali
Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali believes that the Indian film industry
needs fresh talent to flourish, and for this, entry in filmdom
needs to be eased. “We should introduce new energy in the
film industry and need to make the entry point easier and
talent-based,” the Jab We Met director said at the trailer
launch of a new movie titled Cute Kameena.
“To thrive for a film industry, it needs to get to introduce
new talents and new people in the industry. And if the range
becomes big, lots of talented actors, writers and directors
will come in the scene. It will be easier for the industry to
entertain more and grow as well,” added the director.
Talking about his own journey, the Jamshedpur-born
director said: “When I came to Mumbai, my only purpose was
to earn money. So I had no other option but to start working
in any field just to survive in the city. I did an advertising
course but could not manage to get a job. Then I worked
in a reputed channel. I remember my state of mind when I
released my first film.”
Imtiaz’s last directorial venture Tamasha featured Ranbir
Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. — IANS
LONG JOURNEY: Imtiaz Ali
ROLE CALL: Om Puri
Om Puri to play Yamraaj in Warrior Savitri
The makers of upcoming action drama Warrior Savitri have revealed
that the role of Yamraaj in their contemporary version of the Sati Savitri
is played by veteran actor Om Puri. Co-producer Upendra Maheshhwari
said: “We have woven the plot around the ancient fable of Sati Savitri,
Satyavaan and Yamaraj from Mahabharata and adapted it according to
contemporary setting. The role of Yamraj is played by none other than
Om Puri, the title character of Savitri is played by (legendary music
composer) O.P. Nayyar’s granddaughter Niharica Raizada, while Rajat
Barmecha essays the character of Satyavaan.”
The story of Sati Savitri has inspired many women through the ages
and Niharika is happy to play this character. “Today everyone speaks
about woman empowerment, discrimination with women and the
changing phase of women in our society and all sectors of life. But I feel
the character of Savitri which was mentioned in our scriptures was the
most powerful woman to fight with Yamraaj for her love, her husband. I
am very lucky and honoured to play this character in a modern avatar,”
she said.
Director Param Gill has showcased his versatility by composing the
music of the film as well with renowned singers Rahat Fateh Ali Khan,
Shaan and Shalmali Kholgade taking the album on another level. He
said the music of the film includes diverse genres like Sufi, classical
and western. Warrior Savitri, produced by Harinder Kanda and
Maheshhwari under the banner of Dr Bob’s Production, is releasing in
the summer of 2016. — IANS
18 GULF TIMES Wednesday, March 2, 2016
COMMUNITY
HOLLYWOOD
Lifting the veil on
honour killings
Oscar-winning movie has Pakistan vowing to protect women
against the lethal custom that claims thousands of lives every year
By Shashank Bengali
A
REAL CINEMA: Producer Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy attends an Oscar party in Hollywood.
Pakistani filmmaker’s second
Oscar victory prompted
celebration in her home country
and renewed the spotlight on
so-called honour killings, which
claim thousands of women’s lives every year
in the South Asian nation.
Honour killings are deeply embedded
in South Asian culture, where arranged
marriages are common and tradition
subjugates women to the sometimes lethal
authority of their male relatives.
The government has pushed to hold
some of the perpetrators accountable, and
on Monday, two brothers were sentenced
to death in the eastern city of Lahore for
killing their sister and her husband after they
married against the family’s will.
But filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s
Oscar-winning documentary, A Girl in the
River: The Price of Forgiveness, has inspired
new efforts to crack down on the lethal
custom. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif held a screening of the film at his
official residence last week, the first time it
was shown in Pakistan, and promised new
government help in eradicating the practice.
“Women like Ms Sharmeen ObaidChinoy are not only a pride for the Pakistani
nation but are also a significant source of
contribution toward the march of civilisation
in the world,” Sharif said in a statement after
the Oscar ceremony.
But the power of film, and of international
pressure, has its limits. Obaid-Chinoy’s
documentary, which won in the short-subject
documentary category, traces the story of
Saba Qaiser, a teenage girl whose father shot
her in the head and dumped her in a river for
marrying a man her family didn’t approve of.
Qaiser survived the attack and sought
justice, a rare story in Pakistan, where
women and girls — and a small number of
men — believed to have shamed their families
are killed despite legislation outlawing the
practice.
Loopholes exist in Pakistani law under
which survivors can “forgive” their assailants
— often husbands, fathers and brothers — and
allow them to escape serious punishment.
In the end, that’s what happened in Qaiser’s
case: Tribal leaders put pressure on her to
pardon her father and uncle for attacking her.
Ultimately, her husband’s older brother
persuaded Qaiser to forgive them — “We have
to live in the same neighbourhood,” he said —
and they were set free.
Her father’s defence was that he did the
right thing, and that it would serve as a
warning to his other daughters not to defy his
wishes.
“After this incident, everyone says I am
more respected,” her father says in the film. “I
can proudly say that for generations to come
none of my descendants will ever think of
doing what Saba did.”
Many perpetrators are not charged in the
first place, especially in rural, tribal areas
where police may turn a blind eye.
The Human Rights Commission of
Pakistan documented nearly 500 deaths in
honour killings last year, although advocacy
groups believe that thousands of cases go
unreported annually. After the film’s Oscar
win, Sharif said in a statement that “there is
no place for killing in the name of honour in
Islam,” and vowed legislation “to stop such
brutal and inhumane acts.”
In her acceptance speech, Obaid-Chinoy
drew applause when she said, “This is what
happens when determined women get
together.”
“This week the Pakistani prime minister
has said that he will change the law on
honour killing after watching this film,” she
said. “That is the power of film.”
One step that Pakistani lawmakers could
take immediately would be to revive a bill
that eliminates the loopholes for those who
perpetrate honour killings. The measure
stalled in Pakistan’s parliament last year.
But even with that, deep-seated cultural
attitudes that sanction such violence persists
in many parts of Pakistan.
Pakistan’s rapidly urbanising society has
afforded women many more opportunities,
but has also challenged traditional beliefs. In
a 2013 Pew Research Center poll of Pakistanis,
84% of respondents said Islamic religious
law should be the law of the land, and of that
percentage nearly 9 in 10 favoured stoning as
a punishment for adultery.
“The voices that speak out against honour
killings are a minority. The great majority of
society is quite apathetic,” writer Bina Shah
said in an interview. “There is a culture of
male supremacy in this society and it’s taken
for granted that men will dominate women.
Chauvinistic people interpret this as women
being the property of men.”
The 2014 Nobel Peace Prize went in part to
Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenager who
was shot in the face for advocating education
for girls — but while she has received global
acclaim, she has not yet been able to return to
Pakistan, much less turn around conservative
attitudes about schooling.
Like Yousafzai, Obaid-Chinoy has been
criticised in some quarters for spreading
negative stories about Pakistan to a global
audience. The filmmaker faced such
a reaction for Saving Face, a previous
documentary about victims of acid attacks in
Pakistan, which won an Oscar in 2012. A Girl
in the River is due to air on HBO in March.
(Special correspondent Aoun Sahi in
Islamabad, Pakistan, contributed to this
report.) — Los Angeles Times/TNS
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
GULF TIMES 19
COMMUNITY
HOLLYWOOD
Wanted Oscar gown to
be very classic: Priyanka
Actress Priyanka Chopra, who
chose a Lebanese designer’s
pristine white ensemble for her
Academy Awards appearance, says
she wanted to turn up at the gala
in a pretty, feminine and a “very
classic” gown.
The Quantico star was one of the
presenters at the 88th Academy
Awards where she looked stunning
in a structured cage bustier mermaid
dress in white silk tulle adorned
with 3D shimmering climbing
flowers. The dress was a creation by
Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad.
“I can’t be told what to wear.
So, when I told Sophia I was like
... It has to be a moment ... the
outfit. That I definitely want. It’s
one of the biggest red carpets in
the world. It’s super long so, I
want to be comfortable for sure.
And something that lasts the
whole evening ... you know it’s not
ripping,” she told eonline.com.
The busy actress had to hop from
the Oscars ceremony to the afterparty and finally to film Baywatch in
Miami. “I wanted to make sure that
it lasts all night and I wanted it to be
pretty and feminine...very classic
RARING TO GO: Nimrat Kaur
for the Oscars,” said the Bajirao
Mastani star.
Now that the Oscars are over, she
is excited about shooting for her
Hollywood debut.
“Baywatch is such a big brand
... I grew up watching the show.
Baywatch and Buffy the Vampire
Slayer were my favourites. When
I read the script, it was hilarious.
So funny that it will be really
something that people will wanna
watch,” she said.
How does she handle shooting
for TV and film?
“It’s a lot of work. I am flying
back and forth because I am going
from Montreal to Miami. The
show (Quantico) is coming back on
March 6. I am very excited about
it because when we come back,
the second half of the first season
is really interesting and of course
by the finale, the terrorist will be
revealed.
“I am dying to find out too,” said
the actress, who plays FBI agent
Alex Parish in the American TV
show.
“I am perennially physically
exhausted, but I am doing so many
amazing things and these are such
great opportunities and I am a
greedy actor,” she said. — IANS
Nimrat Kaur to start shoot
for Wayward Pines soon
N
imrat Kaur will soon
jet off to Vancouver,
Canada, to shoot
for Manoj Night
Shyamalan’s TV series
Wayward Pines, and hopes to have a
bundle full of “fun” with the show’s
foreign cast.
The actress, who earlier garnered
applause for her role as a Pakistani ISI
agent in American show Homeland,
will be adding a mysterious twist
to Wayward Pines as an architect.
She says details of her role in the
American psychological thriller will
be unraveled gradually.
“I’m playing the part of a girl
called Rebecca, who’s an architect
and it’s very mysterious, and you
know like cards that unfold episode
after episode and towards end of the
season, you realise who really she is
and what her role is in the world they
live in,” Nimrat said in a statement.
She said the team will start filming
very soon.
“I will be joining them soon in
three-four days at most. It should be
fun. We will be filming in Vancouver
and maybe little bit in Los Angeles, so
I am going to be stationed out there.”
The Airlift actress will be paired
with American star Jason Patric in
the series, based on the Wayward
Pines novels by Blake Crouch and
developed for television by Chad
Hodge. The first season of the series
is currently being aired on FX in
India.
The series stars Matt Dillon as
Ethan Burke, a US Secret Service
agent investigating the disappearance
of two fellow agents in the mysterious
small town of Wayward Pines, Idaho.
All praise for her co-stars Jason
Patric and Djimon Hounsou, Nimrat
is already in prep mode for her part —
and that too via Skype!
“I actually Skyped with M Night
Shyamalan about a week ago and we
had a really lovely chat about what
season two is going to be about. He
wanted me to watch it and then kind
of discuss my character little better
in depth but I have not come along to
doing that yet.
“He is super excited about the
season two and he’s like we are
moving up a notch with how we are
presenting the season two.”
Nimrat’s body of work might not
be that elaborate, but her credibility
shines with her work in Airlift and
The Lunchbox. Now with Wayward
Pines, the actress is eager to explore a
new arena.
“Well I am super excited because
this is a genre that I have never
worked in before and also found this
premise very exciting.
“I have to say that I haven’t
watched the first season yet. I have
just had my hands full so haven’t
gotten down to watching it but I have
heard incredible things about it. I
have heard that it’s really cool and it
had people hooked right up till the
end,” she said. — IANS
ALL DRESSED UP: Priyanka Chopra
Nicole Kidman receives
Olivier Award nomination
Actress Nicole Kidman has been
nominated for an Olivier Award
for her performance in Photograph
51. The 48-year-old spent two
months in London’s West End
playing the part of DNA researcher
Rosalind Franklin in the acclaimed
play, Photograph 51, written by
Anna Ziegler, reports femalefirst.
co.uk.
Winslet wants DiCaprio
to ‘start a family’
FRIENDS FOREVER: Kate Winslet, left, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Actress Kate Winslet has
reportedly urged her Titanic
co-star and Oscar-winning actor
Leonardo DiCaprio to get married
and start his own family.
“Kate is completely overjoyed
with Leo’s Oscar win,” an insider
told hollywoodLife.com.
“Now she wants to see him
fulfil another dream — getting
married and starting a family. She
knows without a doubt that Leo
would be an exceptional dad,”
added the source.
The insider also said that
The Grace of Monaco actress has
won a London Evening Standard
Theatre Award for the role, as
well as a Best Actress award at the
WhatsOnStage Awards.
The Olivier Awards are
recognised as Britain’s top theatre
accolades, with other nominated
performers including Oscar
winner Mark Rylance and Benedict
Cumberbatch. The ceremony will
take place on April 3. — IANS
Winslet assured DiCaprio that
being a father was the most
interesting job a man could have.
“She keeps telling him that
once he experiences fatherhood,
he’ll fall madly in love with the
greatest role ever! Kate has joked
with him, but it’s not really a joke,
that she wants to meet all future
girlfriends so she can determine if
they are wife material,” the source
added.
DiCaprio won his first Academy
Award in the Actor in a Leading
Role category for his powerpacked performance in The
Revenant at the Oscars ceremony
held on Sunday. — IANS
20 GULF TIMES Wednesday, March 2, 2016
COMMUNITY
Nepalese artistes find a
platform at talent show
T
he Nepalese community
is one of the biggest in
Qatar. Currently, there are
over 450,000 Nepalese
expatriates, and more than
150 social organisations. Nepalese
artistes are participating in various
cultural programmes organised for
the community members. There are
talent hunts and reality shows that
identify aspirants, providing them
with platforms to move ahead in their
artistic pursuits.
Krishna BC and Anjana Thokar
Tamang are two of the talents who
were recently chosen as non-resident
Nepalese singing star and dancing
star respectively during a talent
hunt finale organised at Regency
Hall recently. Both BC and Tamang
had not imagined such a grand
success coming their way. Likewise,
Madhu Lama and Yogesh Khadka
were declared as the first and second
runner-ups in singing category, and
Mina Magar and Michal Chaudhary
as the first and second runner-ups in
dancing category of the reality show.
The show was organised by Tamu
Cultural Family (TCF), a cultural
wing of Tamu Society (TS), in its
sixth edition. Over 1,000 people
gathered for the finale that started in
October last year with 61 contestants,
38 in singing category and rest in
dancing. The finale witnessed 10
finalists, in each category, vying for
the title.
Winning finalists BC and Tamang
bagged cash prizes worth 100,000
and 80,000 Nepali rupees (NRS)
respectively. These prizes were
sponsored by Nepalese entrepreneurs
Prabin Gurung and Uttam Gurung.
First and second runner-ups of
singing category won prizes worth
50,000 and 25,000 NRS respectively.
Those of dancing category won
40,000 and 20,000 NRS.
The programme was chaired by
TCF president Rajan Ghale, and
community leader Dr Dev Kaji
Dangol was the guest of honour.
Singer and musician Sanjeev Singh
and actress Rishma Gurung -- had
come all the way from Kathmandu
along with Doha-based folk singer
Debika KC, musician-singer Mangal
BK, music director Ishwor Ballav
Upreti and International Artists’
Forum (IAF) president Bhabindra
Tamang formed the jury.
Birendra Shrestha, winner of
Non-Resident Nepalese Star 2013,
and Kiran Lama, dance director at
Nepalese Cultural Family (NCF) were
the guest judges of the finale.
Som Thapa Magar, Santosh
Lama, Himal Lunga, Raj Kumar
Rana, Yogesh Rai, Subash BK and
Rubin BC were the other candidates
in singing category, and Rohit BC,
Indra Gurung, Mohan Thapa, Badri
Shrestha, Kamal Sunuwar and Chitra
Bahadur Puri in the dancing section.
Expats Krishna BC and Anjana Thokar Tamang are winners in a nonresident Nepalese singing and dancing contest. By Usha Wagle Gautam
ACCOLADES: Winner of the singing reality show, Krishna BC, being handed over the cheque at the grand finale of the talent hunt show held at Regency Hall recently.
Winner of the singing category,
Krishna BC has been in Qatar
only for 10 months. He works in a
construction company as a labourer.
He sang a song of popular Nepalese
singer Shiva Pariyar at the finale.
BC hails from Mahottari, a district
in eastern plains of Nepal. As a
child prodigy, BC started singingacting since the age of six. He first
participated in a singing competition
when he was still attending middle
school in which he stood out as a
winner.
Supported by his family,
friends and teachers, he regularly
participated in district and zonal
level contests where he bagged
second and third prizes. According
to him, he went to Kathmandu for
formal music classes at the behest of
his mother. BC did intermediate in
music, searched for jobs but found
none. After a bout of hopelessness,
The judges of the programme.
he opted for Qatar.
Here, he participated in one
musical programme organised by
Nepalese Cultural Center (NCC)
for the first time. Thereafter, he
was called to perform in many such
programmes, including National
Day celebrations. In every round
of the reality show, BC remained
an outstanding performer. “I have
to work here for some more years
before taking music seriously as a
profession, I need to be financially
independent first,” BC says. “I guess
my mother is proud for me.” BC still
thinks it is hard for him to believe
he excelled among equally talented
singers to be on top.
First runner-up in singing category
Madhu Lama was previously the
second runner-up in similar contests
organised by Nepalese Cultural
Family (NCF) and Rupandehi Social
Service Initiative (NSSI). Lama
has already released four musical
albums, and has been in Qatar for six
years working in the front desk of a
company. During childhood, Lama
drew inspiration from his singer
father. His aunt Sita praised his
voice and admitted him to a music
school in the city of Butwol in 2009.
His first album marks one-year
completion of his music course.
Lama has extensively participated
in cultural programmes, including
some organised by the Pakistani
community in Doha.
Second runner-up Yogesh Khadka
hails from remote eastern hilly area of
Nepal, and is in Qatar for little more
than two years. Khadka has been
relentlessly performing since he was
a small boy. His family provided him
with support. Looking at the senior
artistes, he was little discouraged
that he would never fulfil his dreams.
“But, when I came here, I found my
concept was wrong in itself,” Khadka
says,” this place provided me with a
number of opportunities.” Passionate
singer Khadka divides his time into
office time and musical practice.
Dancing winner Anjana Thokar
Tamang hails from Makawanpur,
nearby Kathmandu. She works in
a school in Qatar. Since childhood,
Tamang was deeply infatuated by the
art of dancing. Despite the stigma
associated with female dancers in
Nepal, Tamang struggled hard to
practice and showcase her talent.
First runner-up of dancing
category, Mina Magar originally
comes from mid-plains of the
country. She has been working here
for 15 months in a cleaning company.
She remembers her teacher telling
her that she has a bright future after
she performed in junior school.
Though poverty constrained
her talent, she bagged first prizes
in various competitions at school
level. She aspires to step forward
professionally in the coming days.
Judge Sanjeev Singh performed
three songs during the programme.
Performing for the first time in
Qatar, Singh said he had not ever
imagined that the country hosted
such Nepalese talents. He praised the
role of Tamu Society for organising
such a programme to bring young
and hidden talent to the forefront.
Singh is a highly popular singer who
has performed and composed songs
for more than two decades.