Community

P7
Community
American
online
transportation
company Uber has
found strong local
competition in the
form of Ola in India.
P16
Community
Naser Mestarihi’s
new album melds
the timelessness
of ’70s and ’80s rock with
a contemporary vibe that
sounds right and relevant
for 2016.
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Dhul-Qa’da 1, 1437 AH
DOHA
33°C—42°C TODAY
LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE 11
PUZZLES 12 & 13
Turning
point
Known for comic roles in the
Malayalam film industry, actor
Nandu recalls how meeting
Adoor Gopalakrishnan changed
his life forever 4-5
COVER
STORY
LOOKING BACK: Actor Nandalal Krishnamoorthy (Nandu) of Malayalam cinema was in Doha recently on a short visit. He retraces his
journey in the film industry.
Photo by Anand Holla
2
GULF TIMES Thursday, August 4, 2016
COMMUNITY
ROUND & ABOUT
PRAYER TIME
Fajr
Shorooq (sunrise)
Zuhr (noon)
Asr (afternoon)
Maghreb (sunset)
Isha (night)
3.38am
5.02am
11.40am
3.08pm
6.20pm
7.50pm
USEFUL NUMBERS
EVENTS
Emergency
999
Worldwide Emergency Number
112
Kahramaa – Electricity and Water
991
Local Directory
180
International Calls Enquires
150
Hamad International Airport
40106666
Labor Department
44508111, 44406537
Mowasalat Taxi
44588888
Qatar Airways
44496000
Hamad Medical Corporation
44392222, 44393333
Qatar General Electricity and
Water Corporation
44845555, 44845464
Primary Health Care Corporation
44593333
44593363
Qatar Assistive Technology
Centre
44594050
Qatar News Agency
44450205
44450333
Q-Post – General Postal
Corporation
44464444
Humanitarian Services Office
(Single window facility for the repatriation of bodies)
Ministry of Interior
40253371, 40253372,
40253369
Ministry of Health
40253370, 40253364
Hamad Medical Corporation
40253368, 40253365
Qatar Airways
40253374
ote Unquote
u
Q Progress is
impossible without
change, and those who
cannot change their minds
cannot change anything. George Bernard Shaw
Community Editor
Kamran Rehmat
e-mail: community@gulf-times.com
Telephone: 44466405
Fax: 44350474
Playwriting Techniques Workshop
DATE: Until Aug 12
VENUE: National Day Celebrations Committee headquarters
Theater Affairs Center, in collaboration with National Day
Celebrations Committee, will organise a workshop entitled
“playwriting techniques” for the artist Abdul Rahman alMannai. The workshop aims to produce Qatari theatrical
texts that can participate in the National Day school theatre
competition.
Aspire Splash and Dash
DATE: Every Sunday and Wednesday
TIME: 7pm-9pm
VENUE: Aspire Dome
The athletics track and swimming pool will be open for 50
participants aged 7 years and above per session and facility.
Swimming skills are mandatory for registering at the swimming
sessions with a limited number of 50 participants per session.
The event is open to public registration on-site from 6 to 7:45pm.
Cake Decoration Classes
DATE: Morning and evening
VENUE: Tavola Royal Plaza, Al Saad Street
Tavola offers a range of cake decorating and kitchen skills
classes. Tavola is the only authorised Wilton method provider in
the Middle East.
Combination of Sun, Sand and Surfing
DATE: Ongoing
VENUE: Aqua Park
For the first time ever in Qatar, it will be possible to ride
up curved sidewalls at 90 degrees to the direction of the
water flow. Giving visitors and especially surfing fanatics an
amazing experience available at Aqua Park. Come join us and
also take advantage of the extra free ticket you get anytime
you buy two Stingray Tickets.
Qatar Summer Festival at The Pearl
DATE: Tomorrow to August 27
TIME: 6:30pm
VENUE: The Pearl-Qatar
The Pearl-Qatar will host several entertainment activities and
roaming musical acts and parades at dedicated locations in Porto
Arabia as well as Medina Centrale from 6.30pm to 9.30pm on
August 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 and 27.
Barzan Girls Center’s Summer Programme
DATE: Until August 25
TIME: 6pm
VENUE: Barzan Girls Center
Barzan Girls Center is organising its summer programme, which
continues for a month and targets girls aged 15 years and above.
For registration, you can visit the centre’s headquarters at 6pm.
The programme aims to exchange experiences and information
between the girls, establish the spirit of cooperation between
them, and to advance their characters through learning. It will
feature several educational programs, workshops, courses,
camps, festivals, skills, and trips. For enquiries, please call
44789392.
Mall Cinema (1): Bad Moms (2D)
11.30am; Ice Age: Collision Course
(2D) 1.30pm; Kasaba (Malayalam)
3pm; Ice Age: Collision Course (2D)
5.30pm; Suicide Squad (2D) 7.15pm;
Jason Bourne (2D) 9.30pm; Mojave
(2D) 11pm.
Mall Cinema (2): Ice Age: Collision
Course (2D) 11.15am; Mojave (2D)
1.30pm; Ice Age: Collision Course
(2D) 3.30pm; Bad Moms (2D)
5.15pm; Jason Bourne (2D) 7pm;
Kasaba (Malayalam) 9PM; Kasaba
(Malayalam) 11.30pm.
Mall Cinema (3): Suicide Squad
(2D) 11am; Where to invade next
(2D) 1.30pm; Midnight Sun (2D)
Collision Course (2D) 3.15pm; Ice Age:
Collision Course (2D) 5pm; Suicide
Squad (2D) 7pm; Suicide Squad (2D)
9.15pm; Suicide Squad (2D) 11.30pm.
3.30pm; The Legend Of Tarzan
(2D) 5.15pm; The Legend Of Tarzan Royal Plaza Cinema Palace
(2D) 7pm; Suicide Squad (2D) 9pm; (3): Ice Age: Collision Course (2D)
11.45am; Midnight Sun (2D) 1.45pm;
Suicide Squad (2D) 11.15pm.
Mojave (2D) 3.30pm; Bad Moms
Royal Plaza Cinema Palace
(2D) 5.15pm; Where to invade next
(1): The Legend Of Tarzan (2D)
(2D) 7pm; The Legend Of Tarzan
11.30am; Kasaba (Malayalam)
2.30pm; The Legend Of Tarzan (2D) (2D) 9.15pm; Jason Bourne (2D)
4.45pm; Jason Bourne (2D) 6.45pm; 11.15pm.
Asian Town Cinema: Kabali (Tamil)
Kasaba (Malayalam) 9pm; Kasaba
5, 8 & 11pm; Anuraga Karikkin
(Malayalam) 11.30pm.
Vellam (Malayalam) 12.30, 2.45,
Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (2):
5.15, 7, 7.45, 9.30, 10.15pm & 12am;
Suicide Squad (2D) 11.15am; Ice Age:
Collision Course (2D) 1.30pm; Ice Age: Dishoom (Hindi) 5.30 & 10.30pm.
Thursday, August 4, 2016
BOOKS
10
3
COMMUNITY
ROUND & ABOUT
top
GULF TIMES
MOVIES
1. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
2. Querkles by Thomas Pavitte
3. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
4. Lost Ocean by Johanna Basford
5. After You by Jojo Moyes
6. Selp-Helf by Miranda Sings
7. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom
Riggs
8. Girl Online: On Tour by Zoe Sugg
9. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
10. The Bamboo Stalk by Saud Al Sanousi
1. Triple 9
2. Concussion
3. Max
4. Furious 7
5. The Revenant
6. Insurgent
7. Avengers: Age of Ultron
8. Fright Night
9. Taken 3
10. The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
MUSIC
TV-SERIES
1. Friends S1-10
2. Private Practice S5
3. New Girl S1
4. Cougar Town S3
5. Archer S2
6. Happy Endings S1
7. Burn Notice S4
8. Burn Notice S3
9. Private Practice S4
10. Bones S1-6
1. Various Artists: Now 93
2. Adele: 25
3. OST: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Deluxe Edition
4. Maher Zain: One
5. Various Artists: Hold Me Close In Love Db
6. Beatles: Live On Air 1963 V1
7. Various Artists: Made In America All American Classics
Bx3
8. Various Artists: Brit Awards 2016 Db
9.Dandy Warhols: Distortland
10.Rice Damien : My Favourite Faded Fantasy
Courtesy: Virgin Megastores, Landmark and Villaggio Mall
Free Medical Camp
DATE: Tomorrow
TIME: 6:30am-12:30pm
VENUE: Al-Abeer Medical Center, AbuHamour
This Medical Camp shall provide free
medical consultation including orthopaedics,
oral hygiene, hypertension, diabetics checking
and free medicines for around 400-500 lowpaid industrial and domestic workers.
Blood Donation Camp
DATE: Tomorrow
TIME: 8am-4pm
VENUE: Aster Medical Centre, Industrial
Area
Care & Aware, a joint charitable venture
of Aster Medical Centre, Malabar Gold &
Diamonds, Wellcare Group and KMCC
Kozhikode District Committee, is organising
a blood donation drive to raise awareness on
the importance of blood donation among the
public with the support of Hamad Medical
Corporation and felicitating blood donors on
August 5 from 8am to 4pm. The drive will be
held at Aster Medical Centre, Industrial Area.
Avadhikkalath — an article on vacation
experiences and vadhikkalakazhchakal, on
photography. Article on vacation experiences
should be prepared in Malayalam or in English
with a minimum of 500 words. Photographs
for the competition should be printed on A4
size art paper or photo paper. Pictures should
not have been published before and should
not be downloaded from internet. Entries for
competitions need to be submitted to FCC
Office on or before September 21. More details
can be obtained by contacting telephone
number 4466-1213.
Summer Programme
DATE: Until Aug 21
VENUE: Virginia Commonwealth
University
Virginia Commonwealth University in
Qatar will organise its summer programme
for all school students aged six years and
above. They can choose from a variety
of programmes designed for various age
groups, with the aim of learning new skills
and making new friends during the summer
holidays.
children by offering a variety of activities.
Yamativo Salsa Classes
DATE: Every Monday
TIME: 7pm
VENUE: Radisson Blu
It’s always fun and always challenging. Let’s
meet and learn some moves every Monday
night. You don’t need to do anything, just join
us. Level 1 (intermediate level) 7pm and for
beginner level 8pm. Be there are Radisson Blu
Hotel Cabana Club.
New Bootcamp Abu Hamour
DATE: Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday
TIME: 6pm
VENUE: Doha British School
Located just minutes from Villaggio
and a walk away from Ain Khalid Gate, the
Doha British School campus is our newest
Bootcamp location.
The training takes place on the main grass
playing field surrounded by an athletics track.
There are showers available and changing
rooms.
Pottery workshop for kids
DATE: Every Monday
TIME: 5pm-6pm
Kids will learn a new hand building technique
for creating and finishing artworks in clay. For
more, call 44865201.
Qatar Summer Festival
DATE: Until August 31
VENUE: Doha Exhibition and Convention
Center
Enjoy Qatar Summer Festival throughout the
month of August under the theme ‘Color Your
Summer’. It will include a wide range of summer
entertaining events and activities, art zones,
shopping promotions, in addition to a unique
entertainment city.
Garage Gallery
DATE: Until November 1
TIME: 8pm
VENUE: Spaces at the Fire Station
The Artists in Residence exhibition is a
culmination of an intensive nine-month
programme featuring works by 18 local
contemporary artists who have been working in
the studios and spaces at the Fire Station since
September 2015. The exhibition showcases
new work and projects created by the artists
during their residency period, shedding light
on the development of their innovative ideas
and diverse studio practices. Photographic,
sculptural, and installation-based artworks fill
the Garage Gallery and showcase these talented
artists.
Vacation Competition
DATE: Until September 21
VENUE: FCC Office
The Women’s forum of Friends Cultural
Centre has announced competitions for
Qatar-based Malayalee students of grades
IV–XII. There are two competitions including
Fitness Training
DATE: Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday
TIME: 6pm-7pm
VENUE: MIA Park
There are fitness classes in the park on
Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday nights
between 6 and 7pm. Open to all levels of
fitness. Bootcamp is an intensive and fun
way to train and also meet new people in the
open and friendly group atmosphere. More
information, from Bootcamp, Qatar or info@
bootcampqatar.com
QSports Summer Camp
DATE: Until September 1
TIME: 8am-1pm
VENUE: Al Jazeera Academy
QSports summer camps are committed to
providing a safe, fun and skill-based experience
for kids between the ages of 4 and 14. We have
a dedicated team of specialist kid’s coaches
and classes and activities are safe, planned,
progressive, active, creative, inclusive and
designed to maximise participation of all
FOODIE CHOICE
RESTAURANT: Gordon Ramsay
LOCATION: St Regis
Explore Gordon Ramsay Mediterranean,
a fresh and modern dining experience
influenced by the tastes of Sardinia, South of
France and Spain. The ever changing menu
combines seasonal ingredients and flavours
for the lovers of inspired, authentic cuisine.
Compiled by Nausheen Shaikh. E-mail: gtlisting@gmail.com, Events and timings subject to change
4
GULF TIMES Thursday, August 4, 2016
COMMUNITY
COVER STORY
‘I was always called in
to play comic characters’
Nandu’s performance as an alcoholic plumber in the film Spirit brought him
critical acclaim and recognition, giving him a firm footing as a character
actor in the Malayalam film industry. By Anand Holla
one film, there’s a close-up shot
of my Adam’s apple that moves up
and down as I gulp. People looked
at that and just fell over laughing.
While I was typecast as comic
relief for a long time, I longed to do
serious characters. But it seemed
totally out of my reach. One day,
a director told me that the day I
stopped doing these goofy roles
and take up serious ones, my life
will change. I told him that’s what
I wished for, too! ‘Don’t worry,
there will be such a day’ he said.
And that day came when Adoor Sir
(Adoor Gopalakrishnan, acclaimed
filmmaker) summoned me for a
role. That was accidental; it was
literally an accident when we met.
Nandalal Krishnamoorthy, popularly known as Nandu, gets nostalgic as he recounts his early days in Malayalam cinema. According to him Adoor
Gopalkrishnan's Naalu Pennungal and Ranjith's Spirit were defining films in his long career.
Photo by Amamd Holla
A
s mostly a supporting
actor and in small
roles, Nandalal
Krishnamoorthy,
popularly known
as Nandu, has acted in dozens
of Malayalam films, making his
indispensable mark as a solid acting
force to reckon with.
It was in filmmaker Ranjith’s
hit film Spirit, starring superstar
Mohanlal, that Nandu came into the
limelight in full bloom as Manian
– a role for which he even received
the award for best supporting actor
at the South Indian International
Movie Awards (SIIMA).
Taking a break from the six films
that he is currently working in –
including PuliMurugan, the bigbudget movie starring Mohanlal
due for release end of this year
– Nandu was down in Doha earlier
this week. Community caught up
with him for a chat.
You have been in the film
industry for three decades. How
did this all start for you?
I was never interested in films. I
was the best NCC cadet of Kerala
for six years and my ambition was
to join the Indian Navy. However,
that plan crumbled to pieces due to
my vision problems. I then wrote
some exams in the hope of joining
the travel industry but that didn’t
materialise either. Meanwhile, I
would frequent the homes of music
director M G Radhakrishnan and
actor-director Venu Nagavalli,
who were my close friends and
neighbours, and even sing as part
of the chorus in recordings. A lot
of film stars would visit there.
Another friend, Rajasekharan from
Dubai, would tell Radhakrishnan
and Venu to put me in the movies. I
was 21; a jovial, enthusiastic fellow,
who would readily crack jokes.
Once Venu asked me if I wanted to
act. I agreed. In 1986, I acted in my
first film, Sarvakalashala.
Soon, I had begun acting twice a
year, while writing various entrance
exams on the side. After a couple of
years, I figured this career was going
rather well. I wondered, ‘Why must
I not choose this as a profession?’
As I began acting in more films, my
interest only grew. I sharpened my
focus on acting as a career.
What sort of roles did you
gravitate towards?
Somehow, I was always called
in to play comic characters. My
physique was suited for that. You
won’t believe if I tell you that it
was as if a T-shirt and a trouser
were somehow walking around. I
was that thin! Like a skeleton. In
How did that come about?
One afternoon, I was driving
down in Trivandrum city. The road
was empty but for a crashed car
parked on the side. I immediately
recognised the Blue Honda City as
Adoor Sir’s car. On the other side of
the footpath, I saw him standing,
leaning on a lamppost. I pulled up,
went up to him and said – Hello sir,
my name is Nandu … I am a film
actor. Do you want any help? He
declined my offer and told me that
he had called the police as he had
hit a bike. The boy riding the bike
was not serious and is taken care of
at the hospital, he said. I then stood
with him for almost 45 minutes. We
spoke very sparsely because like his
films, Adoor Sir is a very quiet man.
Every 10 minutes, I would ask
him shall I drop you somewhere
and he would say no. I eventually
left. But just before that, he asked
me my name, pulled out a little
notepad from his shirt pocket and
jotted it down. Two days later,
I got a call asking if I would like
to do a character in Adoor Sir’s
film. I almost fell down. I couldn’t
believe my luck. The film was
Naalu Pennungal (Four Girls) and it
comprised four stories.
I would play the husband of a
woman in one of the stories. It
was a super serious character.
I can safely presume Adoor Sir
hadn’t seen my other films else he
wouldn’t have cast a comedy fixture
like me in that role. But playing
that part changed my life. The film
wasn’t a commercial blockbuster,
but I got noticed by scores in film
festivals across India and around
the globe. Soon, senior directors
Thursday, August 4, 2016
GULF TIMES
5
COMMUNITY
COVER STORY
Nandu and Mohan Ayeroor, left, in a still from the upcoming movie Kuppivala (Glass Bangles).
Nandu as a priest in Campus Diary.
such as Siddique, T V Chandran,
and Ranjith, began casting me in
serious, substantial roles.
Would you say that the film
that brought you widespread
recognition was Ranjith’s
Spirit?
What I would say is that Adoor
Sir gave me a rocket to sit on, and
Ranjith is the one who lit it. The
reason my film career changed
is because of Adoor Sir but how
it changed is because of Ranjith.
Countless people have told me that
my character in Spirit (2012) was
tailor-made for me. I agree and I am
thankful that I could do justice to it.
The challenge was to play a
drunkard plumber. Mohanlal, the
hero, is also a drunkard but he is
a rich guy who drinks expensive
liquor, whereas I play Plumber
Manian who drinks the cheapest
ones and comes home to beat my
wife and children. In fact, back
then, the four-minute video clip
that shows my daily routine in the
film was played to a conference of
ministers in Kerala to hit home the
ill-effects of alcoholism on poor
people. Following that conference,
soon, a ban on alcohol in Kerala was
enforced.
Did the change in casting
result in a shift in your choice of
roles ever since?
I don’t say no to any offer. If it’s
a small role and only two scenes
long and yet important to the film,
I take it up. What matters to me
is that I play the character as well
as I can. Even if the movie doesn’t
run, people should tell me that I
played my part well. Whatever role
I play, I never like to act. I like to
live that character and become that
character. You need to put yourself
in the shoes of the character and
focus completely so as to be able to
thoroughly involve yourself. I’m a
big fan of Jagathy Sreekumar. He
has acted in around 2,000 films and
we call him the King of Comedy.
When I watch him acting, I forget
where I am. He is an unbelievable
actor. So I try and emulate such
actors in how they embody the
characters. Observing them has
taught me a lot.
So you eventually wholeheartedly embraced acting as a
profession?
I used to sleep till late even after
the alarm would ring. Many years
ago, we were once shooting in
Dubai. Actor and associate director
Sudheesh came to my room and
asked me why I was still sleeping.
I didn’t hear the alarm ring, I
shrugged. ‘You see, you didn’t hear
it because even now, you don’t
think of acting as a profession
because of which you are earning
your livelihood. If you think of it as
your profession, you won’t need an
alarm to wake up,’ he said. My eyes
popped up and those words hit my
brain in solid force. From that day
until today, I don’t need an alarm.
Nandu with Mohanlal in an old photograph.
I set the alarm, of course. But if the
alarm is set at 4am, I will wake up
at 3.50am. Discipline is key. With
discipline, things automatically fall
in place.
Tell us about your reading of
the trends in the Malayalam film
industry today.
I don’t like how quite some films
today use abusive language. A cop
beating a culprit and using abusive
words is understandable. Movies
today though resort to abuses and
below-the-belt humour on a whim,
and I feel it isn’t good comedy when
you have to rely on filthy words or
vulgarity. Fortunately, it’s not the
norm. Another trend is that earlier,
films would have a huge cast of
characters. But these days, there
are three or four main characters
in a film and the story gets straight
to the point. Most importantly, the
filmmaking approach today has
changed.
A very small subject can now be
the centre of a narrative because
how you treat it is what matters.
That’s because these directors are
growing up on world cinema and
reading a lot. We used to have love
stories or forced fight tracks, but
now, with time, our movies are
becoming more like Hollywood
movies. Also, technology has
changed a lot. Today, we use the
latest technology in our industry,
from helicams to gimbals, and all
of this is boosting the filmmaking
process. And of course, this is great
for our industry.
6
GULF TIMES Thursday, August 4, 2016
COMMUNITY
MOTORING
Infiniti unveils all-new Q30
A
t an exclusive event in Beirut,
Lebanon, Infiniti Middle East took
the covers of the hotly anticipated
Infiniti Q30. The Infiniti Q30
active compact is a new type of
premium vehicle for a new type of consumer.
Representing Infiniti’s first entry into the fastgrowing premium compact segment, the Q30
will play an important role in continuing to
drive the growth of the brand here in the region.
Juergen Schmitz, Managing Director, Infiniti
Middle East said: “When we first debuted
the Infiniti Q30 to the region at the Dubai
International Motor Show last year – it was
met with widespread critical acclaim. We are
extremely proud to be here today when we can
officially launch the car to all markets in the
Middle East. The Infiniti Q30 is a completely
new segment and direction for the Infiniti
brand and we are confident that this vehicle
will continue to deliver Infiniti’s premium
experience to a new segment of customer.”
The Q30 takes Infiniti’s signature design
cues and evolves them into new dynamic
shapes. The double-arch grille with 3D mesh,
for example, has grown from the Q50, with a
more fluid movement into the headlamps. The
dramatic curves and turbulent lines flow up the
bonnet, over the fenders and across the body
line into the strong shoulder of the car.
The signature C-pillar arcs forward in a
dynamic crescent shape that emphasises
motion, even when stationary. The contrast
of the long, low-slung roof-line, conjuring an
image of a rakish shooting brake in silhouette,
and elevated stance add to the visual impact.
This also adds to a sleek look that gives the
impression of the car being in motion even
when standing still. The balance of sculptural
shapes moving past one another creates a
harmonious design that can be appreciated at
a glance.
An important, differentiating characteristic
of the Q30’s design is its combination of
The Infiniti Q30 at the launch event.
elevated stance with an overall height that is
comparable with models in the traditional
compact segment. The Q30’s height (1,495mm)
allows for a higher hip point (531mm), which
aids ingress and egress. The A-pillar design is
intentionally slim, contributing to enhanced
visibility for a confident driving experience.
The Q30 Sport stands a little lower
(1,475mm), accentuating the already
distinctive, coupe-like silhouette, which is
emphasised by a shallow side glass area, while
also providing for agile ride and handling.
Driving performance will also be differentiated,
thanks to individual suspensions settings and
distinctive ride and handling characteristics
– offering premium compact buyers a choice
that is specific to their personal needs and
preferences.
The Q30 Premium includes LED front fog
lamps, body-coloured and heated door mirrors,
as well as chrome dual rectangular exhaust
finishers. 18-inch alloy wheels add to the
Premium grade’s striking appearance.
On the technology front, the Q30 delivers in
spades as the best equipped with the highest
level of assistive technology in the segment.
This includes’ Around View Monitor with
Moving Object Detection, Intelligent Parking
Assist, Forward Collision Warning with
Forward Emergency Braking and Blind Sport
Warning.
A first for Infiniti and this category, the
Intelligent Parking Assist is designed to work
in the three most common parking situations,
tight parallel parking, 90 degree backing-in and
heading –in parking. Using 12 sensors in the
front and rear, the system automatically steers
the vehicle into place with the additional help
or audio and visual warnings whilst the driver
controls the brake and accelerator.
Ranking among the best in the premium
compact segment, front passenger seat width is
1,393mm; rear passenger seat width measures
1,349mm; head room (without sunroof) is
108mm in the front and 43mm in the rear of
the car. There is 626mm of leg room in the
front and 538mm in the back, and 1,324mm
and 1,244mm of hip room front and rear,
respectively.
Cargo capacity is highly competitive,
notably the boot capacity of 430 litres. Aided
by a wide, square aperture, and practical,
squared-off dimensions, the boot will easily
hold two large suitcases, with 60:40 splitfold rear passenger seats liberating additional
space for larger cargo.
At launch, the Infiniti Q30 will be available
with 1.6L or 2.0L Turbo variants in a 2WD
configuration. The 2.0L Turbo will also be
offered with an optional AWD drivetrain.
The 2.0L Turbo engine delivers 208hp and
350Nm torque. When equipped with frontwheel drive or all-wheel drive, the highestperforming engine in the range is capable of
powering the Infiniti Q30 from 0-to-100kph
in 7.3 seconds.
Available across the Middle East the all-new
Infiniti Q30 starts at QR105,000.
Nissan LEAF ranks world’s best-selling
electric vehicle in 2016
N
ew figures show that so far in 2016,
the Nissan LEAF is not only the
world’s best-selling electric vehicle
(EV), but also the third best-selling
passenger car overall in Norway.
Nissan made an early commitment to
zero emission technology, recognising it as
a sustainable, practical transport solution.
Nissan has supported 100 percent electric
mobility since 2010, introducing the Nissan
LEAF as the world’s first mass-market
electric car and the e-NV200, a practical and
versatile all-electric commercial vehicle.
There are already close to 25,000 Nissan
LEAFs on Norwegian roads and sales in the
country are growing rapidly, with 2,450
units sold so far in 2016 – an increase of 58.7
percent compared with the same period
last year. These figures come after Nissan
announced sales of 16,916 electric cars in
Europe for the 2015-16 fiscal year — a new
annual record.
Norway has one of the largest EV markets
in Europe, with EVs accounting for 15 percent
of new car sales so far in 2016. Nissan has
supported the development of quick charging
infrastructure for EVs in Norway, partnering
with supermarket chain, KIWI, to install 50
quick chargers at their stores throughout the
country.
Gareth Dunsmore, Director of Electric
Vehicles, Nissan Europe, said: “Norway
is spearheading the switch to sustainable
mobility and we’re delighted that the
Nissan LEAF continues to be ranked as
one of the most popular vehicles in the
country. Nissan has been at the forefront
of the electric vehicle movement since the
introduction of the Nissan LEAF in 2010
and with its third generation now available,
we are confident that we will retain a
leading position in the ever-expanding EV
market.”
Launched in Europe earlier this year, the
Nissan LEAF 30 kWh delivers up to 250
km of driving range on a single charge — a
26 percent increase on its predecessor.
Coupled with its low running costs,
spaciousness, innovative technology and
safety features, the Nissan LEAF offers
a fun, practical, zero emission mobility
solution for all.
The Nissan LEAF.
Thursday, August 4, 2016
GULF TIMES
7
COMMUNITY
OFFBEAT
Uber coming second in taxi
app war raging in India
In New Delhi taxis need a valid license on their yellow license plates. The taxi aggregators Uber and Ola are currently
introducing expensive competition in India.
By Stefan Mauer
T
he joy of having just
installed the Uber app
lasts only a few seconds
when you order a taxi
in Indian capital New
Delhi.
The programme is quick to find
a free taxi and both driver and
passenger can see where the each
other are. And yet the phone rings
immediately.
“Where should I go?” the driver
asks in broken English.
The passenger repeats time and
again the initials “GPS,” in the
hope that the driver will simply
follow the navigation system that
is built into the app.
At some point, the driver just
hangs up, without making it clear
whether he will show up or not.
Ordering an Uber taxi in India
is a gamble. Many drivers are very
cautious. They know their way
around and they brilliantly handle
the chaotic traffic in India’s big
cities.
However, often enough it
is also the case that they are
overwhelmed and can’t even
manage to find their passengers.
Quality fluctuations are linked
to Uber’s business model. The
company owns no taxis: its app
only connects passengers with
independent drivers.
Passengers can rate drivers’
services with a star system, but
drivers are not Uber employees,
and the company just takes a cut
of the price passengers pay for
their ride.
Investors are so convinced
about this system that Uber has
been able to raise about 11 billion
dollars. India is a key market for
the company, which wants to
invest more than 1 billion dollars
there by the end of 2016.
Among other reasons, India is
so important for Uber because the
firm cannot get a proper hold in
many developed markets.
In Germany, for example, the
courts have banned individuals
without a taxi licence from
being posted as drivers in the
app, so that Uber can only act
as a mediator with regular taxis
and can therefore not offer any
particular flexibility or price
advantages.
India, a country of almost 1.3
billion people, offers great growth
prospects. Uber has only been
active there for three years, and
it already has more than 250,000
drivers and operates in almost
30 cities, according to company
figures.
The Indian government
also demands that Uber use
only licensed taxi drivers, but
the registration process is
considerably simpler and cheaper
there than it is in many European
countries, for example.
However, quite a different
problem has emerged for Uber in
India. Its usual strategy of forcing
its way into new markets with as
much money as possible appears
not to be paying off in the Asian
nation: a local competitor is not
only standing up to the US giant
but has even become the market
leader.
Although Indian firm Ola could
not keep up financially for a long
time, it is now serving almost
four times as many cities as Uber,
according to Ola’s own figures. In
terms of registered drivers, it also
leads its US competitor by more
than 100,000.
Last year, Ola made its big
financial breakthrough, when it
raised about 880 million dollars
from investors over several
fundraising rounds. According
to media reports, the company
is expected to raise at least that
much again this year.
Ola has two major advantages
with relation to Uber. It can
concentrate its whole capital in
just one country, and it is a local
player.
Further, it offers a much larger
scope of vehicle types than Uber,
from large limousines to threewheeled auto rickshaws.
Ola also leads Uber in terms
of payment methods. Credit
card payment cannot be taken
for granted in India, and while
Ola offered the option of paying
drivers in cash from the start,
Uber only allowed that a few
months ago.
At the moment, it is mostly
passengers who are benefiting
from the packed war chests of
both rivals. In some Indian cities,
a 1-kilometre ride in either an
Uber car or an Ola taxi costs less
than 11 cents of a dollar.
In compensation, the two
companies pay their drivers
generous bonuses. There are no
official figures, but drivers speak
of bonus payments of more than
100 dollars per day when they
secure enough rides.
“It’s not a question of who is
making profits right now, because
no one is,” start-up expert
Kulpreet Kaur writes in a blog
post. “The question is who can
bleed the longest.” —DPA
The Uber app on a cell phone in the Indian capital New Delhi, where taxi
aggregators Uber and Ola are currently engaging in fierce competition. Both
operators boast significantly subsidised prices and special offers to customers.
A series of rickshaws stand in a parking lot waiting for passengers in the
Indian capital New Delhi, where taxi aggregators Uber and Ola are currently
engaging in fierce competition.
8
GULF TIMES Thursday, August 4, 2016
COMMUNITY
TRA
In San Francisco, a great urba
Children have plenty of options at the Koret Children’s Playground in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, including swings,
climbing ropes, elaborate play structure and a couple of concrete paths down which kids can slide while sitting on
cardboard.
By Reed Parsell
A
Cindy Cornejo and her daughter, 7-year-old Ellyana Cornejo, strike a pose atop
the rope climbing structure in the Koret Children’s Quarter Playground in San
Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.
superb playground and
carousel, carnivorous
plants, paddle-boat rides
beside paddling ducks, a
simple wooden structure
that delights both children and adults
for big, wonderful chunks of time —
there may be no better bet for family
fun than Golden Gate Park in San
Francisco, USA.
Starting four blocks from Haight
and Ashbury streets, a landmark that
to put it mildly lacks a kid-friendly
vibe, the 1,107-acre rectangular
greenbelt stretches 3 miles westward
to the Pacific Ocean. In this great
municipal park, guardians can let
their guard down. Maybe not all the
way down, but enough to be able to
focus on enjoying the park’s many
attractions.
My family, which includes a 7-yearold, went there twice in recent weeks
and sampled as many sites as we
could manage. Golden Gate Park is
roughly bisected by Highway 1, and
we restricted our movement, which
covered a lot of ground, to the eastern
side.
Here are some attractions in the
order we experienced them, and
others we couldn’t squeeze into our
visits.
Koret Children’s Quarter, which
was built in 1888, is thought to be
one of the country’s oldest public
playgrounds, although its huge play
structure is modern and in good
repair.
On a Saturday afternoon in
early June, my family went to the
playground with friends Camilla
Kendall and her 5-year-old daughter,
Gia Nichols, of Rancho Cordova.
Gia and my daughter, Prairie, made
BOATING IN THE PARK: Paddle boats rented from the Stow Lake Boathouse in th
that, like the outside rim of the lake, has a walking path.
good use of the rock waves and two
cement slides down which kids glide
(pretty slowly; it’s not anywhere near
bobsled-esque). They also took a
couple of spins on the neighbouring
Herschell-Spillman Carousel, which
was constructed in 1914 and operated
in Los Angeles and Portland before
being installed at Golden Gate Park
in 1940.
Kendall, an animal rights activist,
called the carousel incredible,
pointing out it “had anything from a
cat to a wild boar to ride. And after all,
the only way to ride any animal is on a
carousel!”
Tracy resident Cindy Cornejo and
her 7-year-old daughter, Ellyana,
climbed to the top of a cone-shaped
rope structure in the middle of the
playground.
“I used to come here when I was
younger,” the mother told me after
gingerly descending. “I really wanted
to bring her here to experience this.”
A 20-minute walk away, the lush
5-acre Japanese Tea Garden and its
striking five-story pagoda offered
other serene delights.
Gia and Prairie became fixated with
what they referred to as the circular
bridge (although it’s actually shaped
more like half an oval, round side
up, and some would call it a moon or
drum bridge). Up and over they went,
again and again, giggling, as did many
older people who seemed to find the
steep, wooden structure a perfect
place to pose for photographs.
Beneath the bridge, koi provided
more photo ops, their bright-orange
scales pairing nicely with all the
surrounding deep-green foliage.
Staring at the pond’s banks, they
seemed to be waiting to be fed once
the garden closed and the tourists had
departed.
Created in 1894, the tea garden
is also the oldest such site in the
United States. The pagoda dates from
the Panama-Pacific International
Exposition of 1915, and the bronze
Buddha sculpture behind it was cast in
Japan in 1790.
Closer to the playground, the
Conservatory of Flowers is Golden
Gate Park’s oldest building. Its white,
curvy, windows-and-metal exterior
has served as a signature sight since
1879, with about 1,700 species of
aquatic and tropical plants.
The conservatory’s kids booklet
“Tropical Trekkers!” offers visitors a
checklist of activities, with two pages
devoted to dinosaurs and their diet —
ferns and cycads — 200 million years
ago.
“How do we know what dinosaurs
ate?” the booklet asks. “Scientists
look at fossilised dino dung, called
‘coprolites,’ for evidence of plants
or bones from prey animals.” Sure
enough, next to that description is a
photograph of a 7-inch-long pile of a
fossilised No. 2.
Waiting inside are such marvels
as the purple, dangling insect-eaters
broadly identified as pitcher plants.
“On land, carnivorous plants
catch gnats, flies, moths and, rarely,
small animals,” explains a sign,
neatly weaving education with the
“ew” factor. “In water, the plants
‘eat’ mosquito larvae and other
tiny, aquatic organisms. Nearly all
these plants dissolve their prey with
enzymes and absorb the nutrients.”
Through October 16, the
conservatory’s special exhibit in
the west wing is “The Wild Bunch:
Succulents, Cacti & Fat Plants.”
We also enjoyed strolling around
12-acre Stow Lake and scoping out
all the ducks, paddle-boaters and
rowers there. Human-made in 1893,
the roundish lake contains Strawberry
Thursday, August 4, 2016
GULF TIMES
COMMUNITY
AVEL
an park to plant your family in
he park approach a bridge to an island
Island and its 110-foot waterfall and
walking path, which is accessible via
handsome stone bridges.
We encountered our only
disappointment at the San Francisco
Botanical Garden at Strybing
Arboretum, a 55-acre site that
opened in 1940. We were impressed
with the 8,000 varieties of bushes
and trees, including the Australian
section, certainly, and there is
boundless room for children to run
off energy and explore nature. But
we got frustrated in trekking to
the children’s area tucked as far as
possible from where we entered at
the main gate, with minimal and
confusing signage. When we finally
got there, we found its sand pits and
olfactory garden bereft of children
and looking derelict.
Along the way, though, our
daughter was happily distracted by
a black, orange-spotted insect that
inched across a path in the California
Native area of the garden. The pipeline
swallowtail butterfly caterpillars, we
learned, eat plants that make they
themselves toxic to any creature that
deigns to eat them.
For most children, that’s cool trivia.
The California Academy of Sciences
and de Young Museum, both on the
park’s eastern half, are kid-friendly
attractions, too. The academy
contains an aquarium, planetarium
and natural history museum, and is
chock-a-block with opportunities for
children to sow scientific seeds into
their developing minds. San Francisco
Recreation & Parks calls the current
version of the academy, which opened
in 2008, the world’s largest “green”
museum due to its sod-covered roof,
solar panels and other eco-sensitive
design elements.
The de Young’s building is three
years older, and includes a 144-foottall tower from which visitors can
look across the park and city. The
museum offers several programmes
for children, including two 90-minute
Saturday classes in art techniques
and appreciation geared toward 4- to
12-year-olds.
Walking around the park all
morning is a good way to build an
appetite. Answering that call are
several snack bars, including one by
the carousel that serves hot dogs (both
traditional and vegan) and pretzels. A
few food trucks park behind the band
shell at Spreckels Temple of Music;
we sampled samosas (two for $4) and
chana masala ($8) from the Annakoot
Indian truck. There was also a coffee/
pastry stand and a Sam’s Chowder
Mobile with lobster rolls ($13-$18) and
fish ‘n’ chips ($11.25-$14.50).
The Japanese Tea Garden’s very
popular cafe sells, of course, cups of
tea (genmaicha, hojicha, jasmine and
sencha). They cost $3.25 to $4.99.
Food items such as soup, edamame,
green tea cheesecake and sandwiches
run from $3.95 to $8.99.
The boathouse has a snack bar, and
both museums contain cafes.
After our two visits, we concluded
that our wish list of seven sites had
been too ambitious for the time we
had allotted. It is remotely possible
you could see all those things in one
day, but unless you are willing to
short-change most of them (or you
are a marathoner and your kids star on
their schools’ cross-country teams),
Gia Nichols, 5, takes a spin on the Herschell-Spillman Carousel, which has
delighted kids in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park since 1940.
The Conservancy of Flowers is a distinctive structure within the Golden Gate Park.
be choosy.
The playground/carousel, it should
be noted, might be of little interest to
teenagers.
If you park in one spot for the day
and walk among the park’s easternhalf attractions, wear proper footwear
and, if your children are young
enough, bring a stroller. One Sunday
we parked (for free) on Kezar Drive
near the playground and walked, all
told, nearly 7 miles to and from Stow
Lake.
Assuming you and your kids have
any patience and energy left, at the
end of the day drive to the park’s
northwest corner and check out the
Dutch Windmill and nearby Murphy
Windmill. Seeing them, coupled with
the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean
across the street, make a great cap to
a day in the park. — The Sacramento
Bee/TNS
An aquatic plant in the Conservancy of Flowers at the park.
The circular bridge is a popular diversion within the Japanese Tea Garden.
9
10 GULF TIMES Thursday, August 4, 2016
COMMUNITY
INFOGRAPHIC
Thursday, August 4, 2016
GULF TIMES
11
COMMUNITY
LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE
5 ways to say goodbye
to your 'sad desk lunch'
Y
ou're running out the
door, already late and
thinking about that
important 8 am meeting.
Lunch is the last thing
on your mind. In fact, you usually
just pick something up from the
deli line or local fast food place and
hurry back to your desk. Sound
familiar? You're not alone. Only
one in five people actually ditch
their desks during their lunch hour.
When you feel your stomach growl,
it's all too easy to grab something
from the vending machine or - if
you remember - to pack a cold
turkey sandwich. But there are
plenty of easy ways to spice up your
lunchtime routine at work. Here are
some tips to improve your mediocre
midday meal:
Walk away from your desk.
Do you eat at your desk every
day? You have a lunch break for a
reason; so use it. You're busy and
pepper. Arrange the slices on a
greased baking sheet and bake at
400 degrees for 30 minutes until
potatoes are crisp and golden
brown. Then, spread them out on
parchment paper, sprinkle with salt
and enjoy. Pack a handful of chips
in your lunch each day for more
crunch and less guilt.
need a few minutes to recharge
throughout the day. You'll come
back refreshed and ready to be
productive for the rest of the
afternoon. Eating at your desk also
means you're probably multitasking, not paying attention to
your food. Leaving your desk will
help you become a more mindful
eater and you'll enjoy your meal
more. Take a walk, socialise with
co-workers, do something that gets
ARIES
March 21 — April 19
Don’t stop believing in your vision or plan today rams. You’re in
the right frame of mind to go for it and to be focused and ready.
Sometimes your focus is off and you get sidelined...not today!
CANCER
June 21 — July 22
Don’t let the current mood of the day change your mind about
something you were very set on not long ago. Stick to the plan at
hand Cancers and let things work out the way they are meant to
work out today.
LIBRA
September 23 — October 22
Unless you are completely, absolutely positive about something or
someone today, don’t push the button or jump out of the airplane
just yet! Give it a few seconds/minutes before committing yourself
Librans.
CAPRICORN
December 22 — January 19
There is a way out of your current predicament today goats. You
simply have to look for the invisible EXIT sign that’s above you and
get ready to make your move.
you up and moving for at least 15
minutes.
Bake up a batch of healthy
chips.
Step away from the snack
machine. You don't need those
stale potato chips. You can bake
your own with only six ingredients.
Thickly slice two pounds of
potatoes and coat them with olive
oil and one tablespoon of salt.
Season with cayenne and ground
Stray from the PB and J.
Peanut butter and jelly might be a
staple, but it's time for a grown-up
work lunch. You can find sandwich
fixings that are not only easy and
quick, but take your lunch to the
next level. Try a gourmet chicken
salad like the no-mayo Avocado
Chicken Salad. It's a better-foryou option, saving you calories and
fat, because it's made with Hass
avocado, white vinegar, olive oil, sea
salt and lime juice. It takes the place
of eggs and most of the oil, while
still maintaining that classic creamy
texture and flavor.
TAURUS
April 20 — May 20
If you think you can do something but are intimidated by the sheer
fact of starting it and trying it, then it’s on you to take that giant first
leap forward bulls. There is nothing worse than feeling intimidated
or anxious. Knock that out of the ballpark asap.
LEO
July 23 — August 22
Sometimes you have to agree to disagree with someone in order to
let life keep on keeping on, don’t you? Holding a grudge or letting
something or someone bother you will only halt your progress
today.
SCORPIO
October 23 — November 21
Be careful that something you really have been hoping and wishing
for is in fact something you actually want! If it is, great. If not, you
might end up wasting a lot of precious time on a dream.
AQUARIUS
January 20 — February 18
Unless you really feel it’s absolutely necessary, don’t try to move too
many things around today or make too many changes. Leave things
the way they are right now.
Find a new way to pack your
salad.
Forget about soggy, wilted
lettuce. One of the best ways to pack
a salad is in a quart-sized canning
jar. Put your dressing on the bottom,
add in your lettuce, veggies and any
other salad toppings. Simply pour
the salad out into a bowl and you're
ready to eat. Your salad will also last
for a couple of days in the fridge, so
you can make a few days' worth of
lunches ahead of time.
Make your lunch at work.
Are you always running out of
time to pack a lunch? Choose a
lunch you can throw together in
minutes. A chicken salad wrap, tuna
melt, pita pocket sandwich with
hummus or a Greek yogurt parfait
are all relatively simple, healthy
meals you can prepare in the office.
Keep the ingredients on hand and
lunch will be a no-brainer.
© Brandpoint
GEMINI
May 21 — June 20
Sometimes there are absolutely no words you can say that will
make the situation ‘right again’. If you simply ignore it and hope
whatever it is will go away chances are it won’t. So tackle it today
and hopefully you can and will get the result you want.
VIRGO
August 23 — September 22
Stop, listen and learn today Virgos. There are some things (believe it
or not) that you don’t know yet and need to learn...only a few things
but still...lessons you will savour.
SAGITTARIUS
November 22 — December 21
There is always going to be that 20/20 hindsight feeling when you
realise that you should of, could of, would of if you could of kinda
thing. It’s too late to sulk about it now Sags.
PISCES
February 19 — March 20
You can be somewhat elusive at times. Dreamy, lost in thought or
distracted to name just a few of your Pisces qualities. However,
today you should be on the lookout for something or someone who
is here to help you and guide you.
12 GULF TIMES Thursday, August 4, 2016
COMMUNITY
Wordsearch
Adam
Pooch Cafe
Discovery Channels
ASSAY
CHECK
EXAMINE
EXPERIMENT
INQUIRE
INSPECT
INVESTIGATE
MEASURE
MONITOR
OBSERVE
PROBE
PROVE
RESEARCH
REVIEW
SCAN
STUDY
TEST
WATCH
WEIGH
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
Thursday, August 4, 2016
COMMUNITY
PUZZLES
Quick Clues
ACROSS
1. Difference (11)
9. Freeze (3)
10. Position (9)
11. Telegram (5)
13. Vie (7)
14. Lamented (6)
16. Skimp (6)
18. Thoughtful (7)
19. Benefactor (5)
20. Clot (9)
21. Unconscious (3)
22. Sleight of hand (11)
GULF TIMES
Colouring
DOWN
2. Anger (3)
3. Indian class (5)
4. Lure (6)
5. Pale (7)
6. Standard (9)
7. Wary (11)
8. Excessive (11)
12. Bright idea (9)
15. Gourmet (7)
17. Recompense (6)
19. Vision (5)
21. Japanese sash (3)
Cryptic Clues
Answers
Wordsearch
ACROSS
1. Regulars in the services (11)
9. The intention of one in the
morning (3)
10. Maybe I can blame a lack of
equilibrium (9)
11. About the end of the battle
damaged tank is captured (5)
13. Let care be used in
processing molasses (7)
14. We will be put in groups for
those included in a later course
(6)
16. Shady retreat providing a bit
of natural cover (6)
18. One colleague takes it in to
copy (7)
19. Act wrongly and fail to get to
the celebration, we hear (5)
20. Being inventive, I will be
using one differently (9)
21. It's a strain to put on a bet (3)
22. See 12 Dn.
Codeword
DOWN
2. Border situated in the marches (3)
3. Sounds like precipitation as a rule (5)
4. Customs assumed in the monastery
(6)
5. Successful result of a boring
operation (3,4)
6. Go quickly to the other side and
meet someone accidentally (3,6)
7. Convivial bonhomie shown by
political group? (5-6)
8. What pupils do to show agreement
(3,3,2,3)
12 and 22Ac. Maintaining
respectability by continuing to do
stage work (7,2,11)
15. As an apprentice, I enter a different
way (7)
17. Not the direct course of French
excursion (6)
19. Small particle for which the omens
are misleading (5)
21. Fish returning for shelter (3)
Yesterday’s Solutions
QUICK
Across: 1 Bake; 3 Discount; 9 Abdomen; 10
Macaw; 11 Discourteous; 13 Sachet; 15 Asthma;
17 Insinuations; 20 Rough; 21 Brought; 22
Speeding; 23 Undo.
Down: 1 Brandish; 2 Kudos; 4 Ignore;
5 Compensation; 6 Uncouth; 7 Town; 8
Impoverished; 12 Falsetto; 14 Confuse; 16
Turban; 18 Organ; 19 Arms.
CRYPTIC
Across: 1 Dope; 3 Idolater; 9 Totally; 10
Inapt; 11 Paperweights; 13 Lesson; 15 Entrap;
17 Drawing-table; 20 Tenor; 21 Settled; 22
Pressing; 23 Lynx.
Down: 1 Date palm; 2 Put up; 4 Dryden; 5
Lying-in-state; 6 Traitor; 7 Rite; 8 Clerk of
works; 12 Appendix; 14 Strange; 16 Unison; 18
Bully; 19 Stop.
13
14 GULF TIMES Thursday, August 4, 2016
COMMUNITY
REVIEWS
The mess of combat and its aftermath
By Colin Covert
FILM: A War
CAST: Pilou Asbæk, Alex Høgh Andersen, Tuva Novotny
DIRECTION: Tobias Lindholm
I
n A War, Danish army commander Claus Pedersen
(Pilou Asbaek) joins his nervous armed unit on their
entry to a rural village. They plan to help residents eject
a militia so many locals fear. That overly optimistic
mission triggers a volatile firefight. In moments the
botched assault devolves from raid to havoc.
The battle’s drastic collateral damage hits unintended
targets both in Afghanistan and Denmark. Some of the
aftermath is lethal, some is legal.
Writer/director Tobias Lindholm’s compelling thriller offers
sharp-focus snapshots of conflict on the ground for its first
hour, and in a military courtroom for the second. Pedersen,
put on trial for possible war crimes, faces a prosecutor who
is self-righteous in her criticism of his official actions, but
not entirely wrong. Each arena’s strategies are half-blinded
by the fog of war. The court’s unnerving scenes grapple with
contradictory conflicts of evidence or lack of evidence. Each
battle is messy and deeply painful, victimising people who
meant no harm.
If you’re looking for a film offering new insights into the
war on terror, move on. This is not scholarship, but a complex,
outstanding film deserving its status as a best foreign
language nominee at this year’s Academy Awards. It gives us
human-interest stories of how families affected by ongoing
war live, not just how they die.
Asbaek gives us a documentary-style character portrait of
Pedersen as a flawed everyman. He’s a sound leader for his
corps, though their emotional traumas after losing a comrade
are not problems he’s qualified to handle. He’s a responsible
family man, though the best support he can offer his stressed
wife, Maria (Tuva Novotny) and their three children in
Denmark is an overnight satellite phone call.
He’s gutsy in battle, but capable of mistakes that could win
hearts and minds for the wrong team.
Holding that extremely stressed conflict in check may be
why he follows the military rules of engagement to the nth
degree. He insists that an Afghan family under threat by the
militia must wait for his troops to arrive the next morning,
sleeping in their own traditional mud house, rather than
sharing his troops’ fortified compound. When they meet
again, bullets flying, Pedersen is trapped in a no-win calamity
where even his best choices can threaten lives, military careers
and his own sense of who he is. Then he returns to Denmark to
struggle against a legal system condemning one split-second
decision in the heat of battle.
For obvious reasons, Pedersen is worried at every symbolic
and literal mine field. Sidebar scenes in his Danish hometown
show that even child-rearing can stumble from routine to
nerve-racking unease. Abroad for months at a time, there can
be conflict and insecurity in every corner of Pedersen’s world.
When he returns to face charges that might lock him away
from his seldom-seen children for years, Maria demands that
he reject any moral guilt feelings and mount a solid defence.
He may have killed kids in Afghanistan but you have three
living ones at home, she blurts. Lindholm’s film wisely notes
in its hushed parting shots that even when official inquiries
end and rulings are announced, the jury’s still out. -Star
Tribune/TNS
Chaos rules
By Katie Walsh
FILM: The Brothers Grimsby
CAST: Sacha Baron Cohen,
Mark Strong, Isla Fisher, Penelope
Cruz
DIRECTION: Louis Leterrier
FILM: The Other Side of
the Door
CAST: Sarah
Wayne Callies, Jeremy
Sisto, Javier Botet
DIRECTION: Johannes
Roberts
A
predictable
storyline is
the weakest
point of The
Other Side of
F
irst, the good news. The
Brothers Grimsby, Sacha
Baron Cohen’s latest
exploration in pushing
the boundaries of taste,
gets a couple of things right. First
and foremost, it clocks in at a tight
82 minutes — it knows just how
long its comic routine will last.
Secondly, co-writer and star Baron
Cohen’s Nobby Butcher, a working
class British football hooligan
from the town of Grimsby, is an
entertaining character to throw into
a spy parody.
The bad news is that situations
cooked up by writers Baron
Cohen, Phil Johnston and Peter
Baynham, are entirely execrable.
Literally.
The story sees the reunion
of Nobby with his long-lost
brother, Sebastian (Mark Strong),
separated by an adoption as kids.
Nobby stayed in Grimsby, with his
wayward ways, while Sebastian
turned into an awesome super spy
in the style of James Bond by way
of Jason Bourne.
By a truly facile turn of events,
the two meet again during one
of Sebastian’s missions, where
Predictable plot
he’s attempting to thwart the
assassination of philanthropist
Rhonda George (Penelope Cruz).
Bumbling Nobby causes
Sebastian to botch the job, and the
brothers go on the lam, with bad
guys and bad spies on their tails
in shoot-em-up action sequences
chaotically directed by Louis
LeTerrier. -TNS
the Door.
Maria (Sarah Wayne
Callies) and Michael
(Jeremy Sisto) are living
the life in India, happily
in love with their family.
But then their son dies in
a tragic accident and it
threatens to rip them apart.
Maria, however, learns of
a temple where she can
communicate with her
dead son, a chance to say
goodbye. But stricken by
grief that’s not enough and
she breaks the temple’s one rule —
don’t open the door.
The biggest problem with The
Other Side of the Door is that anyone
who has seen more than one movie
like this can tell you exactly what’s
going to happen, and when.
The one interesting thing
that the film does is give Maria an
extra helping of guilt. Not only does
her son die in a car accident, but
Maria, in the rush of the accident,
can only save one of her two
children. She opts to protect her
daughter, Lucy, and young Oliver
dies as a result. It lends an extra
level of pathos to an already tragic
story.
The Other Side of the Door is yet
another entry in the “spooky child”
and “parents dealing with their grief”
sub-genres of horror. It’s not bad,
as far as those things go, with Sarah
Wayne Callies and Jeremy Sisto
doing an admirable job of forgetting
that this story has been told many
times before.
(DVDs courtesy: Saqr
Entertainment Stores, Doha)
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Never felt disassociated
from industry: Gautami
By Haricharan Pudipeddi
A
ctress Gautami Tadimalla, who made a
smashing comeback to acting after 19 years
with last year’s Tamil drama Papanasam,
says she never felt disassociated from the
industry as she was constantly in touch as
a designer.
“Even though I was out of action as an actor, I was
very much connected with the industry via my work as
a designer. I never felt cut off or disassociated, thanks to
my designing assignments.
“Since the 2010 Tamil film Dasavatharam, I’ve been
working as a designer,” Gautami, who mostly works as a
costume designer on Kamal Haasan’s films, told IANS.
15
COMMUNITY
SHOWBIZ
MAKING A COMEBACK: Gautami
GULF TIMES
Calling it the best phase of her career, Gautami is
really looking forward to do the kind of films she always
wanted to. “People say this is my second innings. But
I think I’m in my prime now because I get to do what
I always wanted to do. There was a phase where I did
several films in just seven years. I don’t have to worry
about doing so many films at this stage of my career. I
want to do one film at a time and enjoy the process,” she
said.
Excited about her forthcoming Telugu release
Manamantha, she says her role in the film was
exclusively written for her. The film, which hits the
screens on Friday, also releases in Tamil as Namathu,
and in Malayalam as Vismayam.
“When director Chandra Sekhar Yeleti approached
me with the offer, he said he had worked on the script
for two years, keeping me in mind for the role of Gayatri.
I was bowled over by the script and immediately gave
my consent to be part of it,” she said.
Talking about the film, Gautami said, “It’s an
anthology of four stories. There’s a lot of isolation in
today’s world and four completely distinct lives are
woven together through this film. You may call it the
Butterfly or Domino effect. There is no link between the
characters but it blends seamlessly through the course
of the film.”
The film also stars Malayalam superstar Mohanlal,
and she says nothing has changed about her Iruvar
co-star. “Nothing has changed about him. He is
always chilled-out and so much fun to work with.
Both of us had a lot of catching up to do on the sets,”
she said.
Asked if she considers herself to be lucky to be paired
with stars such as Kamal Haasan and Mohanlal even
after so many years, she said that it doesn’t matter to
her whom she works with. “As much as I’m happy to be
working with Kamal and Lal, I look forward to working
with a great team. I’m more interested in working with
new talent, directors who are willing to experiment and
push boundaries,” she said.
When not designing costumes or donning the
greasepaint, Gautami is busy working for Life Again, a
foundation which she co-founded to create awareness
about cancer. “The whole purpose of the foundation is
to find a better way of living life to the fullest. Most of
the health issues we face today are due to the lifestyle we
follow.
“There are several methodologies to overcome the
negativity and it worked for me big time. I have actively
been practising this for almost seven years in my life and
it is very effective,” said Gautami, who is a breast cancer
survivor. — IANS
Benedict Cumberbatch to star in,
produce Rogue Male adaptation
British actor Benedict Cumberbatch is set to star in and
produce the adaptation of the classic British novel Rogue
Male for Fox Searchlight. He will produce the project with
Lloyd, Levin Branwen Prestwood Smith and Beatriz Levin
of Black Sheep Pictures. Also producing it will be Adam
Ackland of SunnyMarch, Cumberbatch’s production
company, reports variety.com.
Michael Lesslie has been hired to write the screenplay
for the thriller, which is about a hunter who attempts to
assassinate a dictator but is caught, tortured and left for
dead. When he escapes back home to England, he must hide
out in a harsh, rural countryside while enemy agents and
the police are in hot pursuit.
The book was published in 1939 and the author, Geoffrey
Household, said the dictator was intended to be a stand-in
for Adolf Hitler. — IANS
NEW VENTURE: Benedict Cumberbatch
Channing Tatum to play merman in Splash remake
ROLE CALL: Channing Tatum
Actor Channing Tatum
has signed up for the
lead role in Disney’s
Splash remake. He will
be playing a mermaid.
But not really — only the
male version of mermaid.
Tatum will join his 22
Jump Street co-star Jillian
Bell for the remake of
the 1984 film, which
originally featured Tom
Hanks and Daryl Hannah,
reports eonline.com.
The original film
followed the story of a
young man (Allen) who
reunites with a mermaid
(Madison) who saved him
from drowning as a boy.
He ends up falling in love
with her, not knowing who
or what she is. However,
in the remake, Tatum will
play merman — a male
version of the mermaid,
and Bell will play a female
version of Allen.
The film is in the early
stages of development.
Marja-Lewis Ryan is
writing the script, while
Ron Howard and Brian
Grazer, who directed and
produced the original
film, will produce it along
with Tatum, Reid Carolin
and Peter Kieran. — IANS
Kunal Jaisingh wants to
learn painting for real
Actor Kunal Jaisingh, who is
seen essaying role of an artist
in TV show Ishqbaaaz, hopes to
master the art of painting. He
wants to paint a picture of his
father and gift it to him.
Kunal, known as Omkara
Singh Oberoi of the Star Plus
show, is already working on
his artistic skills. “I’ve shot for
various scenes that show me
working in solitude on my idols.
Going by the scenes, I actually
wish to pursue painting along
with my other hobbies. We
anyway have an artist-cumsculptor on the set who helps
me with the scenes.
“In between shots or after
lunch, I go up to him (to learn)
and I am gearing up to start
painting a picture of my father
and gift it to him,” Kunal said in
a statement. The actor also said
his father Sunil Jaisingh is his
biggest fan and critic.
“Every night I go back home
after pack up, our dinner table
conversations are only about the
show. After my entry was shot
in the first episode, I remember
him telling me how he would
love to have a painting done by
me hanging on the wall at home.
That was when I knew I have to
get down to business and paint a
picture of him, just for him.”
Ishqbaaaz tells the story
of three brothers — Shivaaay
(Nakuul Mehta), Omkara
(Kunal) and Rudra (Leenesh
Mattoo). — IANS
BRUSH WITH PAINTING:
Kunal Jaisingh
16 GULF TIMES Thursday, August 4, 2016
COMMUNITY
Whiff of nostalgia
in Praed Street
Jordanian-Pakistani musician Naser Mestarihi’s new album melds
the timelessness of ’70s and ’80s rock with a contemporary vibe
that sounds right and relevant for 2016. By Anand Holla
O
CLASSIC APPEAL: Naser Mestarihi turns back the clock on rock music in its
“glory days”, channelling the same spunk, speed and fury without sounding
dated.
n the back of his
assured debut record
1987, JordanianPakistani rocker
Naser Mestarihi
delves deeper into the gritty, British
rock sound in his new album
Praed Street, and the results are
impressive.
While most old schoolers loathe
modern rock for its apparently
synthetic feel and fluffy form,
artistes such as Mestarihi turn back
the clock on rock music in its “glory
days”, channelling the same spunk,
speed and fury without sounding
dated.
Top quality production values
sure have played a big part in
achieving an edgy sound on
this record, but ultimately it’s
Mestarihi’s singular faith in the
timelessness of ’70s and ’80s rock
that glues old school style with a
contemporary vibe and sounds right
and relevant for 2016.
Best known as being the first
rock musician to officially release
a rock album out of Qatar – the
Naser Mestarihi EP – the singersongwriter flaunts progress in his
composition game. Praed Street
features YouTube drumming
sensation Cobus Potgieter, whose
fantastic drumming is a snug fit for
Mestarihi’s racy guitars and clean
vocals.
Preceded by a brief overture,
Wicked Harlot opens the record
with sufficient firepower. Driven
by a melodic riff, the track builds
its groove as it goes along. A
blazing solo and some neat guitar
harmonies stand out in this
crunchy, crispy rock treat.
Fingerpicked guitars pull off
a pleasant surprise in Enslaved.
Mestarihi’s acoustic arpeggios work
rather well for the melody that
exudes somewhat of a bittersweet
air. Moreover, his vocals get to
stretch themselves out a bit here
without being neutralised in
distortion. The lyrics, too, are spot
on.
Animal takes us back to the realm
of unrelenting hard rock frenzy but
it’s the following tracks that stir up
a mean storm. Fire kicks off with
a cool drum intro a la Megadeth’s
Addicted to Chaos, and then keeps
things interesting with a solid riff,
’80s rock-style chorus, and a nicely
etched-out solo.
Up next is Winterburn serving
us the brand of flaming hard
rock that instantly sinks to the
bone. Complex riffs that warrant
elaborate five-finger crawls
across the fret board are clearly
a signature trait of Mestarihi’s
music, and they return here, again,
without abandoning melody. The
chorus is laden with hard-toignore hooks. This one’s easily a
potential crowd favourite.
Acoustic goodness returns only
to make way for some vintage rock
rhythms in Back to the Bay. As for
Heart of Stone, it isn’t as exciting
as the rest; the verses not really
keeping up with the guitar play.
Birmingham Kiss more than
makes up for the brief lull with its
chunky power chords and robust
riffs as drums take a backseat to
good effect. This one’s a complete
track with a neat acoustic section
that effortlessly clambers its way
back into heavier territories. Also,
look out for a brief hat-tip to For
Whom the Bell Tolls by Metallica.
Mestarihi gives his all in Prevail,
the closing track and also the most
The cover of Praed Street.
epic in scale and heft. The heavy
riffs shoulder the grand anthem
feel without succumbing to the
usual tropes of such ambitious
compositions. The chorus especially
is a winner. And that makes at
least five tracks – Enslaved, Fire,
Winterburn, Birmingham Kiss, and
Prevail – worth repeat listens.
One might wonder why the
album is titled Praed Street. The
title is actually an ode to a Central
London street in Paddington
where Mestarihi wrote the
majority of the new record over
the course of four months at his
apartment there. And the focus
is writ large on Mestarihi’s record
that tells us that the man has a
plan and likes to stick to it.
In an interview with Community
in April, Mestarihi had said that he
makes music and performs live not
for money, but for exposure, so that
he can “eventually travel the world,
visit different countries, play to
different audiences and share with
lots of people what I want to say
with my music.”
Praed Street tells us that not only
does Mestarihi have a lot to say, but
also that it’s rather nice to listen to.