Diya August2008s

asian lifestyle magazine vol 6 | NO 8 | issue # 38 | august 2008
Gupta’s
The
Business spotlight
Dr. Beldona’s
Unforgettable Iron Pillar!
C o m p l i m e n ta r y
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CONTENTS august 2008 volume 6
number 8
Features
44 Business family of the Month - Gupta’s
54 Dr. Belodana - Associate Professor at UD
56 Ash - the unforgettable!
71 Karunya - Live in Dallas at Anand Bazaar!
81 Rajendra IANT President - spotlight
Food
51 The Saffron House - restaurant spotlight
85 Cha Siu Bao - Receipe
87 Restaurant Reviews
MOvies
72 Hollywood Reviews
“ ”
73 East Asian Movie Reviews
75 Bollywood Movie Reviews
44 76 Tamil Movie Reviews

78 Telugu Movie Reviews
79 Malayalam Movie Reviews
Don’t stop dreaming, dream big; it doesn’t
cost you anything. If you work hard enough
scene
28 South Asian Mall Groundbreaking
at it and give your 110%, it will come true...
30 Bank Commissioner Honors students
31 Life is a poem of love
UK Gupta
Founder/Owner 32 World Affair Council Meeting
Image Industries & Texas ProFab Corp.,
34 Hawaiian themed party - Heena & Parimals’
Every issue
11 Note
12 Horoscope
18 book reviews
20 Scoop
83 Love advice
8 DIYA AUGUST 2008
83 Doctor’s corner
guide
advertiser’s
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RADIO/MAGAZINE/THEATHER
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Expressions by Rani 28 972-489-7535
REALTY
CAR CARE Dream Home Mortgage 82 972-245-5626
AAMCO 79 972-251-1811
RELIGIOUS
Patel’s Body Shop 32 214-Meri-car
Telugu Bible Church 28
CLOTHING/BOUTIQUE
RESTAURANT
Silk Threads 29 972-432-9599
Ruchi Palace 5 972-818-9588
Jehaans 83 972-238-8561
Bombay Sizzlers 17 972-255-5400
DFW Impression 25 469-231-7559
India Palace 9 972-392-0190
CPA/LAW Roti Grill 84 214-521-3655
Profit Security LLC 85 888-705-7776 Mayuri 33 972-910-8788
Sunil Maini, CPA 70 972-516-1172 Cindi’s N.Y. Deli 49 214-739-0918
Sherin Thawer, P.C. 31 214-239-4511 Saffron House 68 972-239-1800
AA PASSPORT 35 469-835-2731 Our Place 36 214-574-7117
Shandiz 56 972-943-8885
DECORATION
Tandoor Grill 67 469-241-0449
Zwoom Design 27 214-738-1667
Bombay Sweets 77 214-441-2124
DOCTOR/MEDICAL CARE Masala Wok 65 469-362-5586
Primary Care Clinic 63 972-221-6005 Mehfil Bar & Grill 86 972-839-9449
EVENTS Indian Cafe 90 972-929-6400
Diwali Mela 33 682-553-8012 Rice 1 Roll 63 972-506-7423
Karma Wine 32 469-233-2322
FINANCIAL India Cafe 90 972-929-6400
Rahman Financial 48 972-250-1775 Sa Re Ga Ma 67 972-518-0057
GROCERY Topaz Grille & Bar 89 214-641-8861
Taj Grocers 15 972-570-2504 SCHOOLS
Bismillah Int’l Grocery 25 214-504-1868 Desi Driving School 69 972-437-4740
Shandiz 58 972-943-8885
India Bazaar 76 972-312-0114 SECURITY/CREDIT
Subzi Mandi 4 972-235-4300 K-Link 74 972-484-6464
Vinod Kumar 24 214-662-7552
HOTEL
Radisson 21 214-341-5400 TRAVEL
Horizon Travel 27 972-479-0553
IT/JOB Skypass Travel 64 214-634-8687
Prudent Tech 2 469-544-9282 Travel Plus, Inc 78 469-361-1594
Impressive Systems 80 972-241-3500
Gallop 89 972-869-1020 VEDIC STORE
Swami Krsna 14 214-550-1427
JEWLERY
Govindji’s 3 972-231-6776 WIRELESS
Malani 53 972-234-4653 B2B Wireless 7/66 214-276-0251
Signature Diamonds 29 972-789-1331 National Wireless 61 972-488-6968
VR Wireless 21 214-350-0115
ENTERTAINMENT/PHOTOGRAPHY Wireless Solutions 91 972-255-2400
BigDcats.com 62 972-400-1878 Galleria Wireless Back Cover 469-522-0786
10 DIYA AUGUST 2008
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VOLUME 6 | NUMBER 8 | ISSUE NO. 38
PUBLISHER
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Rick Kolluri
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CONTRIBUTING Prianna, Anthony Tran, Anwar Ali,
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CONTRIBUTING tracey mallette, abhisek nagrath,

WRITERS heather safran, Mike Ghouse, Mary
Lorenz, Kathe Nielsen, Subhash K. Jha
& Tamana JOSHI
ART DIRECTOR Rick kolluri Welcome to yet another exciting issue of Diya. It's never been busier here at the Diya
design raj shinde, David Hauck
office; since Monicca was out on vacation for 3 weeks to India - it was at times extra
PHOTOGRAPHY Rehan Obaid, Bombay Photography,
Prince Photography, Ink Studios chaotic while assembling the magazine worthy of its audience.
(EmeryVille, CA), Manav & Jack Hol-
lingsworth Before we jump into discussing the noteworthy sections of this issue - we would
COPY EDITORS Amy Presley, Prashant Gupta & RENU

like to thank you for all the support. We encourage you to take out some time in
thanking the advertisers who have been supporting Diya (pg. 10) this month.
HOROSCOPE EDITOR Swami Krsna (vedicstore.com)
Diya prides itself on providing its readers top quality editorial content: features,
DISTRIBUTION binoy, & rahul scoop, scene and reviews. We are consistently on the prowl to feature noteworthy
place or person – e-mail us or call us with your idea(s).
INTERNS Meniecia Ford, ASAD BIRANI, & ZAIN.
This issue’s business success story goes to UK Gupta & his family (page 44). It
SPECIAL THANKS akbar birani, Sharaz at thawer sometimes is tough to get family involved but in UK’s case he is an overall success.
law, dr. belodna, manuja, anu rus-
sell, shainaz, , jose M., parez malik, This issue’s cover, Ash – the queen of Bollywood, is on a global tour with her family
muizz waljee, DR. AMER, DR. KHAN-
NA, SUBHASH, BALDEV SINGH, DR. (page 56) – Papa B, Mummy ji, & her husband, Abhi; what a lucky lady! We wish
SRINIVAS scott, DR. YOGINI PATEL,
SWAPNIL RAI, JACK HOLLINGSWORTH, her the best of the future.
MANISHA, AFTAB, sudha, sudheer
jayaprabhu, michelle sanchez of
Please, explore the content page eight to view some of the other fea-
moda models, manohar reddy, tures. Keep your e-mails & calls coming. We value your time and interest.
JOHN HAMID, PARIMAL & hEENA,
JAYPAL REDDY, Amir rajvi law & TOM
MELTON AT the COOK LAW OFFICES. Until next time…enjoy!
Monicca Sharmaa Rick Kolluri

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Vol. 6, No. 8, ISSUE #38, August 2008
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horoscope By Rick Levine and Jeff Jawer
This article is excerpted from the book, ‘Your Astrology Guide 2008’ by Rick Levine and Jeff Jawer, astrologers for Tarot.com.
To find out the rest of your key dates and those of your friends and lovers -- and to get the scoop on your Super Nova days,
too -- purchase ‘Your Astrology Guide 2008.’
If you let your emotions propel you for- Personal issues move to the forefront, Consider fresh concepts carefully before you
ward without considering their impact on distracting you from work. The real launch into a full-fledged campaign. You can
others, you’ll likely receive feedback that message here is to acknowledge the rally people to your side, but make sure that
alters your actions. This new perspective importance of your roots, although the cause is worthy. Being more skeptical
may nudge you off stride at first, but it can family ties may produce their share of is not a turn toward cynicism, but a way to
show you more rewarding ways to express stress. A fresh perspective can wash break with old ways of thinking. Keep in Mind
your creativity. Excessive pride can be away past negativity, preparing you This Month: Pressuring others is more likely to
a barrier to accepting this new informa- for change, especially within relation- push them away than pull them over to your
tion, but taking a step down can reveal a ships. side. Maintaining your cool is actually much
path that will take you higher later. Keep Keep in Mind This Month: It’s a good more appealing and persuasive.
in Mind This Month: Plan several moves idea to relax when you have the op-
ahead, like a good chess player, so that portunity: Stress arrives in successive
you can quickly adjust your reactions ac- waves this month, and each one
cording to the changing circumstances. needs you at your best.
August is a power-packed month that The action starts on August 1 with a There may be too much happening, making it
brings issues to a climax, rewards the hard Solar Eclipse in flamboyant Leo that difficult to keep everything under control. You
work you have done, and clearly demon- can have you rethinking your life’s pur- don’t have much of a choice, however, when
strates what you have yet to accomplish. pose. Rational Mercury joined with this Venus conjoins Saturn on August 13, followed
Little can stand in the way of your desires Sun-Moon conjunction can provide by Mercury on August 15. The tense opposi-
when alluring Venus harmonizes with in- plenty of reasons to hold on to a position from Mercury and Venus to radical Ura-
tense Pluto on August 5. You must stand tion that just isn’t working. Persistence, nus on August 23 brings the message home. A
up and deal with a potentially frustrating one of your greatest strengths, may clean break is surely one of your options. Keep
situation, overcome any obstacles, and be a weakness now. A more positive in Mind This Month: Your stress level is high, so
examine your resistance so you can ac- story, though, is a tale of compassion it’s crucial to look beyond differences of opin-
complish your goals. Keep in Mind This and forgiveness that heals relationship ion. Otherwise, unexpected conflicts might
Month: Fear of change might upset you, wounds and restores your faith in love. turn even the smallest disagreements into ma-
but retreating will not be helpful. Flexibility Keep in Mind This Month: Turning loss jor meltdowns.
in the face of adversity will always be your into gain when it’s time to let go makes
greatest ally. it possible to take one step back and
leap ten steps ahead
12 DIYA AUGUST 2008

As hard as you try to compromise, You may not have much choice this Allow yourself to visualize life beyond
the only way out may be to end the month as events draw you into un- your current horizons, thereby open-
relationship. You may also need to re- expected dramas, precipitating per- ing yourself to the possibilities of doing
duce a grandiose project to a man- sonal transformation. You continue to things outside your daily routine. House
ageable size in order to simplify your be organized and efficient through- of Friends and Wishes conjuncts task-
life. Put faith in your creative abilities out the month. If you are willing to go master Saturn and trines joyful Jupiter.
rather than in someone else’s prom- the distance, you can wipe the slate It’s a sure sign that your involvement
ises. There is a place for magic in your clean and move forward with your life. with others at work or play can expand
life. It’s something you can produce Keep in Mind This Month: Growth is not your sphere of activities as long as you
for yourself now. Keep in Mind This painless, and you may be required to take your role to heart. Keep in Mind
Month: When you like what you see give up something dear to move into This Month: Even when your dreams
in the mirror, others will as well. Trust the next phase of your life. Even the are unrealistic, they infuse your soul
your naturally good taste to deter- best changes can be difficult at first. with hope and focus your attention on
mine the look that suits you best. your long-term goals.

horoscope
Yours is a social sign, and your attrac-
tion to groups of like-minded people,
political involvement and community
participation is legendary. Yet you re-
main a loner at times, reserving your
right to be separate from the same
groups you join. Two eclipses reactivate
this struggle between wanting to be
part of something greater than yourself
and your need to maintain autonomy.
Both Mercury and Venus oppose shock-
ing Uranus on August 23, rattling your
windows and perhaps shaking up your
bank account with unexpected expen-
ditures. Keep in Mind This Month: Don’t
avoid your feelings just because you’re
more comfortable living in your head.
Your life will be more meaningful when
you also express what’s in your heart.
You may suddenly discover that
previous promises are not as solid as
you thought, and you may wish to
withdraw from a commitment. Either
way, it’s vital to discuss these issues
openly. Show the courage to express
your needs and be honest about
what you are willing to give in return.
This straightforward approach is your
best guarantee for reinforcing a con-
nection you want to keep or for set-
ting yourself on a path to establishing
more fulfilling ones. Keep in Mind This
Month: You can’t control the course
of a relationship all by yourself -- not
even with compromise and commu-
nication. It takes two to make a part-
nership work.
Yet if you let go of your expectations,

you can discover a creative solution
in which everyone comes out ahead.
Don’t act impulsively on these impres-
sions or try to make sense of them.
Allow yourself time to absorb this non-
linear information before making any
major changes. Keep in Mind This
Month: Thoughtless and unkind remarks
tend to undermine trust, but construc-
tive criticism can be a major asset for
building stronger relationships.
14 DIYA AUGUST 2008

16 DIYA AUGUST 2008
books
Quote of the Month
“Love is, above all, gift of oneself.”
- Jean Anouilh Ardele
Top books to explore this month!
The Last Lecture professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked given it an indelible form. It is a book that
by Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow to give such a lecture, he didn’t have to will be shared for generations to come.
imagine it as his last, since he had recently
been diagnosed with terminal Biography
Synopsis
cancer. But the lecture he gave— Randy Pausch is a Pro-
“We cannot change the cards we are ”Really Achieving Your Childhood fessor of Computer Sci-
dealt, just how we play the hand.” Dreams”—wasn’t about dying. It ence, Human Computer
—Randy Pausch was about the importance of over- Interaction, and Design at
coming obstacles, of enabling the Carnegie Mellon Univer-
A lot of professors give talks titled “The dreams of others, of seizing every sity. From 1988-1997, he
Last Lecture.” Professors are asked to moment (because “time is all you taught at the University of
consider their demise and to ruminate on have…and you may find one day Virginia. He is an award-
what matters most to them. And while they that you have less than you think”). winning teacher and re-
speak, audiences can’t help but mull the It was a summation of everything searcher, and has worked
same question: What wisdom would we Randy had come to believe. It was with Adobe, Google, Elec-
impart to the world if we knew it was our about living. tronic Arts (EA), and Walt
last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, Disney Imagineering, and pioneered the
what would we want as our legacy? In this book, Randy Pausch has combined Alice project. He lives in Virginia with his
the humor, inspiration and intelligence that wife and three children.
When Randy Pausch, a computer science made his lecture such a phenomenon and
Mass Career Customization:

Aligning the Workplace with Today’s Nontraditional Workforce
by Cathleen Benko, Anne Cicero Weis- engaged and connected. Mass career
berg ISBN-13: 9781422110331 This book is centered on the powerful customization provides a framework for
insight that career options in today’s organizational adaptability that will do
Synopsis economy need to accommodate the just that
Far-reaching changes in attitudes and rising and falling phases of employee
family structures have been redefining engagement as it changes over time. U.S. News and World Report
the workforce for more than two de- The remarkable process unveiled in “Mass Career Customization person-
cades-yet the workplace has remained this book offers choices involving four alizes” employees’ careers to fit their
much the same. During this time, many important dimensions of career progres- lifestyles.
companies have learned that personal- sion: role; pace; location and schedule;
izing the customer experience is good and workload.
for business. In Mass Career Customi-
zation, the authors argue convincingly As the working population shrinks,
to extend this popular and profitable maintaining industry advantage will
concept to the workplace. depend largely on keeping employees
Brisingr (Inheritance Cycle #3)

Biography
by Christopher Paolini Roran: to help rescue Roran’s be- Christopher Paolini’s abiding love of
ISBN-13: 9780375826726 loved, Katrina, from King Galbato- fantasy and science fiction inspired
rix’s clutches. But Eragon owes his him to begin writing his debut novel,
Synopsis loyalty to others, too. The Varden Eragon, when he graduated from high
OATHS SWORN . . . loyalties tested. are in desperate need of his talents school at 15. He lives in Paradise Val-
. . forces collide. and strength—as are the elves and ley, Montana.
dwarves. When unrest claims the
Following the colossal battle against rebels and danger strikes from every
the Empire’s warriors on the Burning corner, Eragon must make choices—
Plains, Eragon and his dragon, Saphi- choices that take him across the Em-
ra, have narrowly escaped with their pire and beyond, choices that may
lives. Still there is more at hand for the lead to unimagined sacrifice.
Rider and his dragon, as Eragon finds
himself bound by a tangle of promises Eragon is the greatest hope to rid the
he may not be able to keep. land of tyranny. Can this once-simple
farm boy unite the rebel forces and
First is Eragon’s oath to his cousin defeat the king?
18 DIYA AUGUST 2008

scoop
9 Most Fuel Efficient Cars
Tip on saving gas! 1) Toyota Prius
* MSRP: $21,500 - $23,770
This is all sound advice but there's one driving tip that will * Invoice: $20,210 - $21,816
probably save you more gas than all the others, especially - Fuel Economy Range: 45 mpg Hwy, 48
if you spend a lot of time on the highway: Slow down. mpg City
- NHTSA Driver’s Crash Rating: 4 stars
In a typical family sedan, every 10 miles per hour you - Basic Warranty: 36 months/36,000
drive over 60 is like the price of gasoline going up about miles
54 cents a gallon. That figure will be even higher for less Fuel Type: gasoline hybrid
fuel-efficient vehicles that go fewer miles on a gallon to The Toyota Prius sets the standard for
start with. environmentally friendly hybrid trans-
Experts from “Tips to Save Gas”. By PETER VALDES-DAPENA. portation. It delivers extremely good fuel ef-
CNNMONEY.com ficiency in a front-wheel drive, five-door liftback.
http://autos.aol.com/article/green/_a/tips-to-save-gas-slow-
down/20080421163809990001 2) Honda Civic Hybrid
* MSRP: $22,600 - $22,600
Tata Nano * Invoice: $20,804 - $20,804

- Fuel Economy Range: 45 mpg Hwy, 40 mpg City
- NHTSA Driver’s Crash Rating: 5 stars
World’s cheapest car! - Basic Warranty: 36 months/36,000 miles
The Honda Civic Hybrid is one of the most popular
compact hybrid sedans in its class. It is based off the regular Civic that has
been a best seller in the compact car market for years.
3) Smart Car
* MSRP: $11,590 - $16,590
* Invoice: $0 - $0
- Fuel Economy Range: 41 mpg Hwy, 33 mpg City
- Basic Warranty: 48 months/50,000 miles
- Fuel Type: premium unleaded
4) Toyota Camry Hybrid
4-Door Hatchback * MSRP: $25,650 - $25,650
Distributed In India * Invoice: $23,084 - $23,084
98,094 Rupees or $2,497 * Fuel Economy Range: 34 mpg Hwy, 33 mpg City
* Basic Warranty: 36 months/36,000 miles
The Nano is a pet project of Ratan Tata, chairman of India- The Toyota Camry Hybrid sedan brings the quality and reliability
based Tata Motors, who imagined a low-cost vehicle that of the Camry together with increased fuel efficiency.
could safely transport a family in India who otherwise couldn’t
afford a car. It is about 10 feet long and five feet wide. The 5) Toyota Yaris
2-cylinder petrol engine delivers 33 horsepower and a top * MSRP: $11,550 - $13,925
speed of just over 60 mph. The basic model has no radio, * Invoice: $10,856 - $13,089
air-conditioning or air bags, but it does have seat belts and a * Fuel Economy Range: 36 mpg Hwy, 29 mpg City
catalytic converter to reduce air pollution, and it gets 50 miles * NHTSA Driver’s Crash Rating: 5 stars
to the gallon. It meets all current safety and emissions require- * Basic Warranty: 36 months/36,000 miles
ments in India, and will be ready for market later this year. * Fuel Type: regular unleaded
Source: Forbes.com (Jacqueline Mitchell) The Toyota Yaris manages to combine a well-tailored, roomy
interior with agile performance and a fuel efficient engine in an
entry-level car.
8) MINI Cooper 9) Ford Escape Hybrid

6) Toyota Corolla 7) Honda Fit * MSRP: $27,445 - $29,215
* MSRP: $15,250 - $18,760 * MSRP: $13,950 - $15,270 * MSRP: $18,050 - $21,950
* Invoice: $25,470 - $27,080
* Invoice: $14,105 - $16,976 * Invoice: $13,468 - $14,735 * Invoice: $16,245 - $19,755
* Fuel Economy Range:
* Fuel Economy Range: * Fuel Economy Range: * Fuel Economy Range:
30 mpg Hwy, 34 mpg City
35 mpg Hwy, 26 mpg City 34 mpg Hwy, 28 mpg City 37 mpg Hwy, 28 mpg City
* Basic Warranty:
* Basic Warranty: * Basic Warranty: * Basic Warranty:
36 months/36,000 miles
36 months/36,000 miles 36 months/36,000 miles 48 months/50,000 miles
* Seating capacity: 5
* Fuel Type: regular unleaded * Fuel Type: regular unleaded * Fuel Type: premium unleaded
The 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid has
The new Toyota Corolla is among The Honda Fit distinguishes it- The MINI Cooper provides a sat-
been redesigned with a more aggres-
the best of the compact sedans: reli- self from all other subcompacts isfying combination of fun-to-drive
sive new grille and headlamps, but
able and economical yet refined and with agile handling, zippy perfor- performance, a distinctive bulldog
retains its popular overall look and
comfortable. mance, and impressive practical- appearance, and custom ordering
size that have made it the best selling
ity. A four-door hatchback, the Fit of a variety of trim and color op-
hybrid SUV on the market.
is amazingly comfortable, given tions at a very reasonable price.
its dimensions, even in the back
seats.
Source: AutoData
20 DIYA AUGUST 2008
scoop
How To Get Uncle Sam To Fund Your Start-Up
“Tip No.1: Tell Them Why You’re Worth It
If you want to bag Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding, you’d better be able
to communicate precisely how the research is going to lead to a commercially viable product.
“Most entrepreneurs we work with find it’s a challenge to discuss how their technology is com-
mercialized,” says John Mill, director of the SBIR assistance program in Georgia. There are two
phases to the pitching process. Phase 1 grants, generally worth up to $100,000 apiece, are meant
to support early-stage market research. Phase 2 grants involve spelling out in far greater detail the
market opportunity and the nuts and bolts of the technology. It’s more legwork, but the payoff is
sweet: up to $750,000 per grant. Small Business Technology Transfer (SBTT) grants work the
same way.
Tip No. 2: Knock On Doors

Federal agencies typically announce grants by posting “solicitations” a few times a year at grants.
gov, but don’t wait for the announcements. If you have a compelling idea that needs funding,
contact the appropriate agency directly. “They want to stay current and accurate, so officers want
to talk to people who work in technology every day,” says Stephen Fleming, chief commercial-
ization officer at Georgia Institute of Technology. The agency may be inspired enough to write a
solicitation for research you may already be working on.
Tip No. 3: Tap Your State (It May Be Faster)

Some states, such as Kentucky and North Carolina, offer funding in the form of matching SBIR
and SBTT grants; others offer standalone gifts. Connecticut, for one, now doles out $1 million
a year (up to $50,000 per grant) to young technology companies. While there’s no equivalent to
grants.gov for state-sponsored funding, some states, including Montana and Wisconsin, do host
sites outlining their grants. Better yet, getting state funding can often be a quicker process than
working with the feds, which takes four to six months. State grants generally require far less
paperwork and fewer levels of review, says Fleming.
Tip No. 4: Cater To Your Audience

Some technologies may appeal to many different agencies. As with any sales pitch, make sure
you cater your message specifically for each audience. For example, while the Department of
Defense might be interested in research with narrowly focused military applications, the National
Institute of Health might want to hear about breakthroughs with more broad, commercial appeal.
For more information on how to avoid torpedoing your sales pitch, check out “Ten Presentation
Killers.”
Tip No. 5: Hit The Conference Circuit

There are typically two SBIR and SBTT conferences a year. The next SBIR gathering will run
Nov. 11 to 14 in Hartford, Conn. Cost for these three- to four-day events: $350 to $400 per start-
up. Specific agencies hold their own conferences as well. (The Department of Defense will hold
one in Palm Desert, Calif., in early December.) If you’re looking for grant money, there are few
better networking opportunities. “I don’t think anyone ever comes and doesn’t get a chance to
talk to someone from the agency,” says Joseph Hennessey, program officer at the National Sci-
ence Foundation. ‘That’s why we go there. We’re trying to provide that interface.’”
Source: Excerpt from Forbes.com Maureen Farrell
Coolest Future Phones

Nokia (Concept/Name:3G Phone. Nokia, Cambridge Nanoscience Centre
Prototype) (Concept/Name: Morph. Prototype)
Think “concept cellphone” and Nokia Fast forward to February 2008. Nokia un-
comes readily to mind. The handset veiled its Morph in conjunction with an ex-
maker--currently the largest in the hibition on “Design and The Elastic Mind”
world--has been investing in concept at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.
phones since the 1990s. This prototype, Developed at Nokia’s U.K. research center
meant to visualize what a third-genera- in collaboration with the Cambridge Nano-
tion or 3G phone would look like, came science Centre, the handset is designed to
out of one of the company’s design marshal nanotechnology to change shape,
centers in 1999. Features that seemed clean itself, capture solar energy and intel-
bold then--large, color screens, menus ligently analyze its environment. The shape
that featured icons like computers, more to the left is its “wrist mode.” It can also
ergonomic shapes--are commonplace fold flat for use as a phone with a full-fea-
now. tured keyboard.
22 DIYA AUGUST 2008

scoop
Does your loved one dig your diet - or not?
by Jacki Donaldson
When I overhauled my diet a year ago, my husband hopped right on

board and both applauded and adopted each healthy habit I introduced
into our routine. He lost 40 pounds as a result. Clearly, he was support-
ive. I’m lucky. Not all spouses dig the diets their partners embrace.
A study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that

when people change their eating habits, spouses and partners often
experience skepticism, guilt over their own unhealthy habits, even anger.
We’re creatures of habit. When one person alters the routine, it can
throw things off balance. SHAPE magazine offers these three tips for
easing the transition.
Prepare your loved one for changes Share your plans a few days in
advance and communicate your reasons for making adjustments.
Address concerns Clear the air before the diet starts. Be clear about
your expectations too -- if you don’t expect your partner to make
changes, let him/her know this. Try to circumvent negative feelings
ahead of time.
Identify potential stumbling blocks Discuss how your shared meals

will go. Will you be eating different meals? Will pizza nights be
banned? Bring up all tough questions and come up with solutions.
24 DIYA AUGUST 2008

scoop
Best Buy Vending Machine Haunts DFW Airport
Forgetting to bring your electronics with you on a flight sucks really, really hard.
This is why the DFW airport has allowed Best Buy to put Best Buy Express vend-
ing machines inside several terminals, giving travelers a chance to pick up the lost
gadgets, chargers or headphones that they would otherwise have to do without. Is
it a good deal? Probably not. But think of it as the electronics equivalent of having
to buy a pack of Corn Nuts and going to town because you missed lunch. By Jason
Chen [Dallas News]
Crazy Kassou Car: Confusing, Like a

Giraffe With Batwings "Taipei in Style" fashion show starts in Chinese Taipei
As a tall guy I can appreciate that designer Nicho- Models display outfits during the Taipei in Style, Brand Collection Fashion show
las Lee Dunderdale incorporated an adjustable by various designers at the Taipei World Trade Centre July 10, 2008. The four-
roof into his 3-wheeled Kassou concept car. The day Taipei in Style fashion exhibition features 149 exhibitors, 13 catwalk shows,
rubber “neck” can be raised or lowered depending and 20 fashion seminars.[Agencies]
on the passenger’s need for headroom or better
aerodynamics. But, to be honest, this thing looks
like some sort of crazy science experiment. Like
an unholy mixture of a giraffe, bat and a vacuum
that surely goes against the laws of nature. I
mean, what are those wings for anyway? Despite
its odd appearance, the Kassou actually earned
second place in the Car Design News Contest for
2008—although I wouldn’t expect to see it on the
street anytime soon.
Source: [Car Design News via The Design Blog via Gearfuse]

scoop
Police Officer Makes Spy Glasses Set International
Drunk Driving Arrest Espionage to Your Very Own
Soundtrack
On His Segway
You would have thought that the
only way a police officer could
have made a drunk driving arrest
on a Segway was if the car jumped
onto the sidewalk and slammed into
one. However, an officer actually
managed to chase down a drunken
18-year-old woman in a not-so-hot
pursuit down the streets of Jackson,
Michigan recently. [Gizmodo.com]
What's better than stealing highly guarded

FujiFilm Finepix Z200fd Glam secrets through your special digital camera
Cam, Friends Become Lovers, Lov- glasses? How about stealing said secrets to AC/
ers Become Conjoined Twins DC's Night Prowler? An otherwise gaudy but
The FujiFilm Finepix Z200fd Glam inconspicuous set of Oakley Thump knockoffs,
Cam is yet another digital camera on these Spy Camera+MP3 Sunglasses capture
top of the massive mountain of sleek shots through a wireless shutter control—1
point and shoots. Yeah, it's really .3MP photos saved in 2GB of storage—and
thin and will capture shots at up to they play your favorite MP3s for up to 6 hours
10MP with a 5x zoom lens. But it through the rechargeable lithium ion battery.
stands out for an odd reason—it's If only these were around when we were ten,
got a fantastic—and creepy—timer oh the parliament buildings we could have
system. [Gizmodo.com] pretended to infiltrate. $165. By Mark Wilson
[Gizmodo.com]
Join us every Sunday!
Telugu Bible Church
Every Sunday inside the McArthur Blvd Baptist Church
“Worthy are You to take the book and to 8001 Mustang Drive
break its seals; for You were slain, and pur- Irving, Texas 75063
We are located at 8001 Mustang Drive at the corner of Mustang Drive and
chased for God with Your blood men from Ranchview in Valley Ranch, Irving.
every tribe and tongue and people and na- From I-635 take the MacArthur Blvd. exit and go north to Ranchview. Turn right
(east) and go to Mustang Drive.
tion.” - Revelation 5:9
26 DIYA AUGUST 2008

scoop
Thanko's Lazy Geek's Cushion, Perfect for
Prone PC Action
Ages ago I admitted to being a floor-lounger, and it looks like Thanko has
come up with a solution that'll let me combine lazing around and blogging
for the Giz at the same time. I might rename it from Lazy Geek's Cushion
to "Relaxed Blogger's Desk" though. Looking a little like a massage table,
it's 31 x 19 inches across, and can be propped up at a variety of angles
from flat to about 30 degrees so your arms reach your notebook... and see
that little space for your chin? Looks comfy. No info on pricing, but I'd
love to import one. I'd just have to persuade my wife that it's a good idea,
and not ugly at all. [Gizmodo.com]
New Way Of Storing Solar Energy Discovered iPhone Developers Get Push Notification API
Solar power has a lot of promise, but until recently there Apple's just seeded the push notification API to developers
hasn't been an adequate way to store the energy the sun through the second beta release of the iPhone 2.1 firmware.
produces. Scientists at MIT have come up with a new fuel What this means to you is that developers can now tailor
cell process that mimics the way plants store the sun's their apps to receive notifications in the background while
rays that is both efficient and inexpensive, not to mention it's not running, something supremely useful for apps like
environmentally sound. Without getting too technical, AIM, and to a lesser extent, Twitter and other social net-
the system uses sunlight to separate water's hydrogen and working apps. The target date back at WWDC for when
oxygen atoms and then puts them back together in a fuel you'd get your hands on the background notification was
cell, providing energy. This means an almost limitless September, which seems right seeing as developers need a
supply of clean energy might be just a few years away, month or so to integrate it and then get their apps approved.
though it's still too early to say when you'll have what you Now *bling* you can *bling* always *bling* know when
want: a solar powered laptop. [PhysOrg] someone *bling* is trying to *bling* get ahold of you.
*bling* [Apple Insider]

scene
Groundbreaking of the first South Asian MALL IN DALLAS! Photos by Bombay Photography
28 DIYA AUGUST 2008

scene
Bank Commissioner Honors Asian American Graduates
The Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce (GDAACC), in partnership with
the Multi-Ethnic Education and Economic Development Center, holds its 16th annual Excel-
lence in Education Banquet on Thursday, June 26, 2008 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the
Intercontinental Dallas Hotel in Addison. United Central Bank is the Signature Sponsor for the
fourth consecutive year. Mr. Randall S. James, Commissioner of Texas Department of Banking,
will deliver a keynote address at this event.
Excellence in Education Banquet

For the past 16 years, the GDAACC has recognized Asian American high school seniors in
the metroplex for their outstanding academic achievements and community services. There are
also special scholarship awards presented to two of the recipients: the Jerry Junkins Memorial
Award and the James Yoo Award. The former, established in honor of the late Jerry Junkins,
Past Chairman of Texas Instruments, Inc., recognizes the recipient’s contribution to the com-
munity. The latter, created in honor of James Yoo, the current Chairman of the Board of United
Central Bank, honors the outstanding overall performance of
the recipient. Dr. Wright Lassiter, Chancellor of Dallas County
Community College District, will present scholarships to the stu-
dents starting their college education at Dallas County Commu-
nity College. Also at the event, 25 Asian American professionals
will graduate from our leadership development program called
Leadership Tomorrow.
The following are this year’s Excellence in Education Award re-

cipients: Joshua M. Adair, Wajiha Khan, Ashley J. Kim, Jaclyn
H. Le, John J. Lee, Michael J. Lee, Tyler C. Liu, Jonash A. Loh,
Stephanie O. Nguyen, Thu K. Nguyen, Joohyun Oh, Reena A.
Patel, Angelo G. Ramirez, Waziha Samin, Najam A. Siddiqui,
Sally Tam, Christopher T. Trinh, Aivy H. Truong, Khiem T. Vu,
and Anthony L. Xie.
DCCCD Scholarship Recipients: Date Chin, An Lu, Duy Nguy-

en, Lisa Nguyen. Contributed by Chiho Mori (Greater Dallas
Asian American Chamber of Commerce)
Tajmahal
Imports
One & Only location serving DFW metroplex since 1983
100 S. Central Expway, #26C Richardson, TX 75080
Varieties of spices, Rice, Dals Beans, Grains, Fresh Flours,

Chutneys, Sauces, Ketchups, Pickels, Frozen Foods.
FRESH Vegetables & Sprouts.
Fresh Homemade Rotis, Chapatis, Theplas, Paratis, Naan,
Yogurt, Idli, Dosa mix, Utthapam mix, Sambar-Chutney and
more...
Exclusive collection of Utensils, Cookers, Statues, Paintings,
Trendy Bangles, Henna, Tattoos, Jewelry and more...
Visit our CHAAT CORNER for Chatpatta Bhel, Panipuris, Vada Pau,
Sev Puri, Paneer Masala, Pav Bhaji & top it off with a Fresh Sug-
arcana Juice!
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E-mail: tajmahalimpor ts@yahoo.com
Store Hours: Open all seven days 10:30am to 8:00pm
30 DIYA AUGUST 2008

scene
Life is a poem of love - a tribute to Najma Ghouse
By Mike Ghouse
Freedom is indeed the greatest achievement in one’s I wish this happens to me, you and every one. bonded with the thread of romance till death do us
life. The blessings of serene joy are showered on us, apart. Life is a poem of love, it is the fluency of pass-
when each one of us is be able to free ourselves from Najma and I have lived our life experiencing the full ing day and night and a life time to live. Life is your
tension, pain, anxiety, apprehension, hostility, pres- spectrum of emotions ranging from Khatta (sour), story, our story and every one’s story.
sure, strain, stress and conflicts. It is good to be free. Meetha (sweet), Pheeka (tasteless), Teekha (off),
Khara (spicy) and Kadva (bitter) brim with caring and Ek pyaar ka naghma hai, moujon ki rawani hai,
I am pleased to share that Najma had reached the lots of loving. Zindagi aur kuch bhi nahin, teri meri kahani hai.
pinnacle of freedom when she took her last breath of
life. She had the luxury to close the loose ends of life We have enjoyed the happy moments that life had Kuch paa kar khona hai, kuch kho kar paana hai,
and continue her eternal journey in peace and content- offered; we have lived the fantasies; survived the Jeevan ka matlab to, aana aur jaana hai.
ment. It is a beautiful way to bring closure to life and challenges; experienced the bitterness and above all

scene
World Affair Council Meeting
with the Pakistani Senate Chairman Muhammadmian Soomro. Photos Bombay Photography
32 DIYA AUGUST 2008

scene
Henna & Parimal’s
Hawaiian themed party!
Photos Bombay Photography
34 DIYA AUGUST 2008

36 DIYA AUGUST 2008
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40 DIYA AUGUST 2008
42 DIYA AUGUST 2008
Th e
Gupta’s
business
nth
af mily
m o
f t he
o .
o baid
han
e s s by re h o ice.
i n o s c
tough job,
Bus hot
ai. P a
The l r w i t h ng
by s
wap
ni
a s faced tive mini ado for
aw cra lor
. K . Gupt ncially lu ife in Co on his
r s a go U or a fina egnant w omething e of
ea f pr s tim
t y f our y e to Spain son and ly and do in their ecision
Twen he mov s toddler his fami nd family nd that d
ld hi h a A
Shou g behind or be wit his wife business.
n , th
leavi f the time to be wi d his own
o d n
most e decide d out to fi is life.
H e h
own? nd ventur rence in
a f e
need all the dif
made
44
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AUGUST 2008 WWW.DIYAMAGAZINE.COM
WWW.DIYAMAGAZINE.COM 45
45
“Two roads diverged in a wood,
and I took the one less traveled by, and that
has made all the difference.” - Robert Frost
Today, U.K. Gupta owns several very successful busi- corporate ladder steadily and worked for top companies in
nesses: Image Industries, an established leader in the the field of Mining and Metallurgy like Kennecott Copper
industrial coatings industry; Texas ProFab Corp., a Corporation, Occidental Minerals Corporation, and Con-
sumers Power Co.
precision sheet metal fabricator whose operation he
has entrusted with his son; and even a real estate com-
While he was busy furthering his career, Gupta took trips to
pany with holdings ranging from Texas to the North- India to see his family every couple of years; and it was on
east. one such fortuitous trips that he met his beautiful wife, Shar-
Journey from Punjab to New Mexico

U.K. Gupta came to the United States
business
da. Sharda had just enrolled for a
PhD program at the prestigious
Jawaharlal Nehru University in
in pursuit of higher education. “Study- New Delhi and was working as
ing in the U.S. was like the craze of a news translator and broadcaster
our times,” he recalls. An Assistant for All India Radio. “Our fami-
Professor of Metallurgical Engineer- lies introduced us and we took an
ing at Punjab Engineering College, instant liking to each other,” says
Gupta had aspirations of doing his Gupta. “She already had come to
Master’s in the U.S., but his parents the U.S., and her brothers were
were not open to the idea of their son here too. We talked on Monday
going so far away. “What I did next or Tuesday, and on Wednesday
is a funny story,” chuckles Gupta. “I we got engaged. Within a week
got my admissions and visa done and we were married.”
with the few thousand dollars that I
had saved, I bought my passage to the Soon after their wedding, the
United States without letting my par- couple moved to Salt Lake City,
ents get a whiff of any of this.” U.K Utah and started their new life
Gupta joined the New Mexico Insti- together. In 1980, the couple was
tute of Mining and Technology as a blessed with their first child, their
Graduate student in Metallurgy. “My son, Vivek. By this time, the fam-
friends from India were already here, ily had moved to Grand Junction,
so we all had a great time together,” CO where U.K. was designing
shares Gupta. Although he joined a working Uranium Mine. Hav-
the University without a scholarship, ing also designed a Silver Mine,
U.K. Gupta’s professors were so im- U.K. thoroughly enjoyed his time
pressed by him that he was awarded in the mining industry. Alongside
a Research Assistantship soon after his family responsibilities Gupta
his first semester. Gupta graduated in was also assiduously pursuing an
1971 and joined Cobre Mines in Ha- MBA from Western State Col-
nover, New Mexico as a Plant Super- lege in Colorado. A few years
intendent. U.K. kept climbing up the down the road when >>
One challenge we had early on,

that we have overcome, is that in general,
families always have a hard time getting along.
Working with family sometimes amplifies
conflicts. It took us a couple of years to get to a pace
where everybody understands each other. Once we
hit that stride, everyone was able to be most effective.
46
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Sharda was pregnant with
daughter Shailvi, Gupta re-
ceived a job offer that demand-
ed him to relocate to Madrid,
Spain. “They were willing to
let me fly in for a week every
month to be with my fam-
ily. But, I figured that it just
wouldn’t work and I made up
my mind to do something on
my own,” shares Gupta.
A dream is born
U.K. Gupta’s humble begin-
nings in the field of business
started with a paint shop that
he acquired. “My wife’s cousin,
Dr. Vijay Mahajan, was a pro-
fessor in Dallas, and we talked
to him. He had a friend, who
was a business broker, and we
looked at a lot of stuff; but, the
paint shop peaked my interest.
The shop was in trouble, but the
owner wanted a lot of money. To
manage the required capital, I had
to liquidate all my savings, get an SBA
loan, use Venture Capital, and make some
other arrangements, as well. Eventually, after a lot of ne- The I.T. boom of the late ‘90’s brought in a lot of busi-
gotiations, we were able to close the deal. The manufac- ness for Image Industries. “We were working twenty
turing business is very capital intensive and needs a lot four hours a day, seven days a week,” says Gupta. “There
of initial investment. So, the first few years were quite a was also a big demand from our customers for a fabrica-
struggle,” shares Gupta. tion facility.” Timing, however, wasn’t on his side when
Gupta decided to venture into the fabrication business.
His wife and kids joined him in Dallas a year after Gupta He started a fabrication company, Texas ProFab Corp., in
moved here. Image Industries, a metal finishing compa- 2001 . . . just when the “dotcom bubble” went bust.
ny, was in its infancy and Gupta needed all the help that
he could get. Sharda Gupta stepped in to do her part in Carrying the legacy forward
helping out with the business. She started with handling At this very critical juncture, his son, Vivek Gupta,
all the purchasing for the company. “Purchasing is a very stepped in to help out and took over the operations of
important part of our business because that is where the Texas ProFab Corp. from his father. A fresh Computer
margins lie, and Sharda was great at it.” Sharda also Science Graduate from University of Texas at Austin,
helped out with a lot of the office work. Vivek was brimming with the “can do” spirit and innova-
tive ideas. Within a year of his taking over in 2003, Texas
The dedication and effort that the couple put into their ProFab Corp. registered a fifty percent growth.
business brought industry recognition and growth; by
1999 they were ready to move their facility and offices Under Vivek’s youthful and innovative leadership, the
from Beltline to a much bigger location in Carrollton, business has continued its outsized growth year after
TX. year, even in a tough business environment. “After his
graduation from U.T. Austin, Vivek could have gotten
Gupta risked everything he had to get started in the busi- any job that he wanted in the industry. I asked him if
ness and with his industriousness and hard work he has he would like to give our business a try, and if he didn’t
raised his business to a position where he owns every- like it, he was free to take up any job he liked,” explains
thing without any debt or other shareholders. Gupta. >>
AUGUST
JULY 2008
47
But, Vivek got into the business for tion. For Novie, the engineering
good and enjoys it thoroughly, and the side of the business appealed to
company has turned a new leaf. Vivek her. She leads the CAD (Com-
business
Gupta followed in his father’s foot-
steps, even if those footsteps were not
always a walk in the park for young
puter Aided Design) operations
and readies customer engineered
product for the machinery while
Gupta. “I did my MBA at the Univer- her new mother-in-law, Sharda,
sity of Texas at Austin, while at the handles the entire supply chain
same time working a lot of hours. I for the company. “We are not a
didn’t sleep much, but I enjoyed every top heavy company at all, and
minute of it,” says Vivek. this truly is a family business,”
explains U.K Gupta. “One chal-
With his fervor for the manufactur- lenge we had early on, that we
ing business, innovative leadership have overcome, is that in gener-
and logic based approach to problem al, families always have a hard
solving; Vivek is poised to take Texas time getting along. Working
ProFab Corp. and Image Industries to with family sometimes ampli-
greater heights. fies conflicts. It took us a couple
of years to get to a pace where
“Vivek has a very fresh approach to everybody understands each
things. He is also able to make quick other. Once we hit that stride,
decisions that are very important when everyone was able to be most
one is working in a fast paced environ- effective,” adds Vivek. Looking
ment,” says his father. “It is things like at the exponential rate at which
deciding to venture into automation their business is growing, it ap-
that make me very proud of Vivek’s pears that the members of the
foresight and business acumen,” shares Gupta. “I was apprehen- Gupta family have found their synergy.
sive of this specific decision, at first, because it was a monumental
investment; but Vivek convinced me that the investment will pay Mantra for Success
for itself quickly, and it sure did,” says Gupta beaming with pride. U.K. Gupta believes that the first step to being successful in life is
Since then, he has been asked to speak at conferences and seminars to dream “the dream.” “Don’t stop dreaming, dream big; it doesn’t
across the United States regarding the decision to move a company cost you anything. If you work hard enough at it and give your
of this size into automation. 110%, it will come true. We couldn’t imagine what we could do
when Vivek joined in 2003, and we were just taking baby steps,
For son Vivek, the mantra for their business success is service. but when he came in we have sustained growth at a rate of over 40
“Service is our big thing. We are often considered a manufacturing percent every year.” For Vivek, he believes a lot of your success
company because we make a product and deliver it to customers, is incumbent on your ability to take risks. “I think the time to take
but we consider ourselves a service business; the value we are able risks is a lot earlier because even if the worst downside potential is
to generate is by doing what we do correctly, quickly, and effec- realized, you still have time to start over. I suppose the best advice
tively. We try to be faster than our competition and more precise & is to venture out earlier than later,” says Vivek. With the Gupta
accurate in our work, thus overcoming the commoditized nature of family’s astute business sense and hard work, Texas ProFab Corp.
the actual products we sell. We help our customers bring their prod- and Image Industries are expected to double their revenue in the
ucts to market faster than anyone else. So, it’s all service based, and next few years. They live true to the modern day adage that the
that’s the way we look at our business,” says Vivek. family that works together flourishes together, and that makes them
our truly deserving Business Family of the month. DM
Family Business Synergy
The newest addition to the Gupta Family is Vivek’s wife, Novie
(pictured on this page). They both met while they were doing their Vivek Gupta’s Business Profile
undergraduate studies at U.T. Austin. Novie is of Chinese descent - Managing Director, Texas Profab Corporation
and from Indonesia. She came to the U.S. in 1999, facing many - Managing Partner, North 40 Partners, LLC (Real Estate Industry)
of the same challenges her new father in law did, to pursue higher - President, Managing Partner, July Fourteenth Capital Group
education. “Novie is incredibly intelligent. In a five year period, - Member of the Board of Directors, Fabricators and Manufacturers Association
she completed a Bachelor of Science in Computer Sciences, Bach- (FMA)
elor of Science in Mathematics, and a Master in Computational &
Applied Mathematics all from the University of Texas at Austin
UK Gupta’s Social and Charitable Contributions and Commit-
with a nearly perfect grade point average. And most importantly,
she facilitated her own way through graduate school with fellow-
ments
ships and scholarships,” shares Vivek. The Gupta Family is quick - Board of Director, DFW Indian Cultural Society
to identify the area of expertise of each of their family members - Board of Director, Chinmaya Mission DFW
and what they contribute to the business in their area of specializa- - Contributor for Pratham and Ekal
48
48 DIYA AUGUST
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JULY 2008
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2008 WWW.DIYAMAGAZINE.COM
49
Addison’s Best
Indian Restaurant
The Saffron House By Shahnaz Khaja
photo by rehan obaid
50
50 DIYA AUGUST
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2008
T est r nt n r e
T ndo p i n n ica e u a C l m , L h p n
S m But
. t da , C i T k Mas l i
s m i P n Ch n Mas l , B ig
Bh n G M n i f l lo n .
One year has passed since we last visited The and beautiful. While exiting, the staff greets
Saffron House for our restaurant spotlight of the you as warmly as they did when you first ar-
month. We spoke with co-owner Mr. Probodh rived.
(Prob) Arora to see if the restaurant has lived up
to its expectations during the past year. The Saffron House brings in several different
ethnic crowds, not only South Asian. This is
The Saffron House has been under new man- mainly because of the fine dining experience
agement for over two years now and has and variety of foods available. The restaurant
quickly become the place to visit for authentic now serves several Tandoor grill options and
Indian cuisine. Prob and his friend and partner delicacies such as Calamari, Lamb chops and
Mr. George Samuel took over the restaurant in Salmon. But to date, Chicken Tikka Masala
2005 with the desire to provide customers with is still the number one main dish while Pindi
a fine dining experience while serving authen- Channa Masala, Baigan Bharta and Gobi Man-
tic Indian cuisine. churian follow close behind. In desserts, Prob
says that “no one can beat their Gajar halwa
Prob’s experience in the hospitality industry and Kheer.” The restaurant also offers a list of
has given him a heads up in restaurant man- fine wines and beverages that enhance the din-
agement. After taking over The Saffron House, ing experience.
Prob and Mr. Samuel made several changes. By
hiring Indian chefs, a committed staff and cre- Prob’s several years in the hospitality industry
ating a beautiful atmosphere, they reinvented taught him that the restaurant is where people
The Saffron House as a competitive fine dining come to try the food, but catering is where the
Indian restaurant. Prob prides himself in saying business is. So The Saffron House has expand-
that The Saffron House offers the best service ed their services to include catering for events.
compared to any Indian restaurant in the Dal- They cater a variety of fares including North
las area. Indian, Indo-Chinese, Mexican and Italian cui-
sine.
Upon walking in to the restaurant you are first
greeted cordially by Prob and his staff. After The Saffron House’s passion is to continue
being seated the waiter lights a tea light candle to provide a fine dining experience complete
at your table. While enjoying dinner you hear with outstanding food, service and atmosphere.
soft rhythms of current Indian music. Dimly lit That is what Prob says keep his customers and
crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, creat- friends coming back. Within the near future,
ing a romantic atmosphere. With each dish the Prob and Mr. Samuel plan to expand the busi-
staff brings out from the kitchen, your senses ness to North Dallas. So be looking for another
are pleasantly entertained. The authentic Indian Saffron House soon! DM
décor in colors of red and gold is comforting
AUGUST
JULY 2008
51
bamini win’s
Ms.Vogue ANA 2008
The ANA (association of Napoli’s in North America) Fashion
Extravaganza 2008 gracefully stole the sighs of more than 1200
audience members on July 5, 2008 in Marriott Hotel, Baltimore.
With “A Week in a Nepali’s Life” as the theme, the show ad-
venturously blended fashion and emotion. Five sequences dis-
playing five emotions - “love,” “work,” “tension,” “joy,” and
“culture” - and accordingly five wears - dressy, formal, informal,
glamorous and cultural – kept the eyes of the audience riveted
onto the stage. The models were role-casted to exude these five
emotions, while bedazzling the audience with their catwalks and
stunning looks. The show was about how the Nepali youth live
their lives in the North Americas, how they sail through their
emotions throughout a week, and how they dress to match their
moods and modalities. A posh parade of Nepalipan!
The Model Hunt Winners were Prashant Rajbhan-
dari, Anup Pandey, Nishan Basnet, Sagar Onta, Sushan Manand-
har and Jimmy Lamsal in the male category and Raksha Sharma,
Bimina Ranjit, Sabina Malla, Smriti Basnyat, Raksha Sharma
and Medhawi Giri in the female category. These Model Hunt
winners from different states of the US came to ANA to sport
their talents. The onsite judges were Karishma Manandhar,
Deepesh Kishore Bhattarai and Sharmila Upreti. The winners
of the title Mr. Vogue ANA and Ms. Vogue ANA were Prashant
Rajbhandari form Baltimore, and Bimina Ranjit from Dallas.
Bimina Ranjit, 21 the title winner has been living in
Dallas for last 2 years of her life, while back at home country
Nepal she was a renowned fashion Model. She has made Dallas
proud with her unquestionable showmanship on ramp of ANA
Fashion Extravaganza. Ms. Bimina Ranjit has certainly returned
to her element by proving herself the best in the first ever Fash-
ion Extravaganza and created a history of being 1st Ms.Vogue
ANA 2008.
52 DIYA AUGUST 2008

spotlight
Dr. Sri
Beldona
Associate Professor, College of Business at University of Dallas
Written By Manuja shukla

Photography By rehan obaid
54
54 DIYA AUGUST
DIYA AUGUST 2008
2008
“
University of Dallas was a
H
perfect fit for me... Our student’s
”
learning is significantly enhanced
when faculty can bring relevance into the classroom
through their business experiences.
High achievements, excellence in profession, perfection A bright student as he was, being among the top percentile of the class
in any task undertaken….and still aspiring for more to was his record. The placement from the university landed him the position
accomplish. This may be the approximation with which of Assistant to Vice- President in Blue Star Limited, in New Delhi which
manufactures Air Conditioners.
we can describe the professor at the University of Dallas.
He epitomizes, that it can only be the hunger for learning All throughout his MBA and during his first job, he always knew that he
which can lead us to the zenith of our success. wanted to come to the United States to pursue his dream of joining the
academics. A tough preparation for GMAT yielded result when he was
Well, this is a story about Dr. Sri Beldona, Ph. D., University able to gain admission for MS (International Business) at Temple Uni-
of Dallas, College of Business, Associate Professor who is no versity, Philadelphia in 1991. Later Beldona went onto complete his P.hd
stranger in the academic world as well as the corporate world. in Business Administration with concentration in International Business/
After taking a deep plunge in the corporate world, rising high to Strategic Management from the same university. Here it’s worth mention-
the position as of a Vice President, he took a turn to pursue his ing that Temple University is a 125 years old university with international
life’s ambition - a career in academics. campuses and is the 6th largest provider of professional education in the
United States.
Hailing from Bellary, a small town in the state of Karnataka in
India, Dr. Beldona consistently looked for higher goals in his After completing his PhD, Dr. Beldona worked for Marketing Manage-
academic and professional pursuit. Once, for whom, acquiring ment Inc., located in Fort Worth as Vice President, Strategic Planning &
the mechanical engineering degree from that small town Bellary Finance. Inspired by his brother and his Ph.D, advisor, Dr. Beldona made
in India seemed to be the highest education he can pursue is now the move to join University of Dallas as an Assistant Professor. He says,
an acclaimed professor at the university of Dallas. “University of Dallas was a perfect fit for me. The college of business
prides itself in brining faculty who has business experience. My experi-
After his BS in mechanical engineering, he realized that a Mas- ence at MMI and other consulting projects I had been involved in were of
ters degree was essential in that slow economy and so he went on immense value at UD. Our student’s learning is significantly enhanced
when faculty can bring relevance into the classroom through their business
to pursue an MBA degree from Poona University.
experiences.”
At the university he has been very active in publishing research papers

and also excelling in teaching. His students have consistently rated his
classes as one of the best classes they have taken. Dr. Beldona has been
very instrumental in guiding University of Dallas to partner with an Indian
business school to leverage on the exploding demand for quality manage-
ment education in India.
Dr Beldona has contributed extensively to the academic world by publish-

ing a number of papers related to marketing and international business. His
most recent paper coauthored with Dr. Scott Wysong (2007), is titled, “Put-
ting the Brand back in Store Brands,” which was published in the Journal
of Product and Brand Management’. He has presented numerous papers
in both national and international conferences. Recently he was invited
to speak at the Jaipur Press Club on Globalization and its impact on India.
A perfectly family person that he is, he gives all the credit for his education
to his mother and calls his wife a great support to pursue his dreams. In his
own words Dr Beldona calls his mother as the “iron pillar” of his education
who had once said that “education is the only thing that will remain with
you forever.” He still remembers vividly his parents sitting in the front row
during his graduation ceremony- and that he explains is the most memo-
rable moment of his life.
We honor these achievements made by Dr. Beldona in such a short time

and wish him good luck for his future endeavors. DM
AUGUST
AUGUST 2008
55
Aishwarya Rai
having time of her life!
Aishwarya Rai, who is currently busy hearse enough? over your dancing? and clap. You know, when we were co-
with the Bachchans' Unforgettable con- stars, I always told Abhishek a world
cert, says that as a co-star she had often I was ill for three weeks before we left. I enjoy dancing and I'm having the time tour is something he must experience.
asked Abhishek to experience a world I was on antibiotics throughout. I barely of my life. But I wanted to come back It's just such a high to connect on such
tour. And when he finally agreed to it, had five days to rehearse before we left. to Mumbai for a while to spend time an intimate basis with your audience.
they are dancing as husband and wife. Only I know what it took for me to look with dad. If it was London, it would be
chipper at the press conference. a hopping flight. But from the US, you In fact, for one of my world tours I had
"You know, when we were co-stars, lose time because you cross the merid- even asked my organizers to ask him to
I always told Abhishek a world tour How could you dance after getting up ian line. So much as I'd like to come come onboard. He'd say, 'Not yet, not
is something he must experience. In from your illness? back every week from the concerts, I yet'. And now who would've thought
fact, for one of my world tours I had can't. But I just had to see dad. And this when he's finally ready for his first
even asked my organizers to ask him to The first two shows were really tough weekend we just had one show. Now world tour, we'd go together as husband
come onboard. He'd say, 'Not yet, not on me. I had to do everything in my we return to do a show in Houston. and wife.
yet'. And who would've thought when power to not let my post-illness weak-
he's finally ready for his first world ness show. I practically learnt my steps How is it dancing with Madhuri Dixit? Your best shared moment during the
tour, we'd go together as husband and during the shows. I just had the last concerts so far?
wife," Aishwarya told IANS in an in- three-four nights to first watch the acts For the two of us it's like old times
terview. and then try to learn them. again. We felt we were both back to do- After the performance at Amsterdam,
ing "Devdas" together. I looked at Abhishek and asked how
"It's a wonderful experience. We have You must be torn between the anxiety it felt. And he reminded me that I had
danced together on screen and also perfor your father and the ecstasy of danc- You hadn't forgotten your "Dola re" urged him to go on stage from long
formed together. But we've never been ing live? steps? before. 'And now we're on stage as
on a concert tour together. Even the au- husband and wife,' he said. That was a
diences all over now respond to us as I am. My father is such a strong man. You know muscle memory never lets memorable moment.
a couple. They keep showering us with And so is my mother. They're both go- a dancer down. If you're a dancer, you
blessings and good wishes." ing through his illness and recuperation never forget steps for a song or dance A section of your friends in Mumbai
together. My father is the strongest man you've done before. When the music continue to believe the shows aren't do-
The actress took a break from her tour I know. His faith in the power of healing plays the body just takes flight. And ing well?
and flew back to Mumbai with Abhishek is so strong. I feel his strength and also that's the best way to dance.
to meet her father who is unwell. the love of all those who have sent their What do you do? I've spent an entire
genuine concern. He has gone through Dancing with the whole family - is that career fighting off false perceptions
Excerpts from an interview: his second cycle of chemotherapy and a new high? about my life and career.
now he's going through his third. It's
It seems jetlag was invented for you not easy for us. It's a wonderful experience. We've Do you improvise in the programming
and Abhishek? danced together on screen and also for each concert?
Wouldn't you've preferred to stay home performed together. But we've never
Ha! I grabbed this opportunity to come at this time? been on a concert tour together. These Well, we added "Dola re" in the US
back home because Abhishek had to at- concerts are special because we're do- when Madhuri came on board. Ab-
tend an event. I came back to see my My father wouldn't allow that. My par- ing them as a family and it's the first hishek and I have also added a roman-
father. That's been a gnawing concern ents are made of incredible substance. concert Abhishek and I am doing after tic act. Most of the show is pre-set, but
all through ever since my father fell ill. When I was toying with the idea of marriage. Even the audiences all over we're modifying it here and there. As
The first couple of the Unforgettable backing out of the tour, they put their now respond to us as a couple. They the number of performances increases
shows were really difficult because I foot down. My dad was like, 'No way. keep showering us with blessings and we're having more and more fun. We're
didn't get enough time to rehearse. But Life goes on. There's no way I'll let you good wishes. getting more and more interactive with
after that it's been fantastic. take steps back'. the audience.
And when we perform to the "Guru"
In spite of the fact that you couldn't re- The international press has gone ga-ga song, you should hear how they coo Source: Indo-Asian News Service
56 DIYA AUGUST 2008

58 DIYA AUGUST 2008
60 DIYA AUGUST 2008
62 DIYA AUGUST 2008
Cambodia
Aditi Fruitwala teaches English as
Postcard from..
a second language in Barcelona
and is a contributor to Foreign
Policy In Focus.
By Aditi Fruitwala
As Chea, a tuk tuk driver and tour guide, steers donations from the rare tourist that visits this ill-located
around the beautiful Royal Palace in Phnom place. Chea explains that before the move, the orphan-
Penh, he points out the startling absence of age received a steady stream of visitors that provided
dogs. “Phnom Penh used to have many dogs. the essentials to continue operations. But now, it is
Dogs everywhere, in houses, on the streets. lucky to have one or two a week.
But now people have no money, so we have to And to aggravate matters, the price of these
eat the dogs. We eat anything we can.” essentials, like food, has tripled within the last six
Historically, dogs have been con- months. The staples for everyday sustenance at the or-
sidered unclean meat in Cambodia. However, phanage have become near to impossible to buy. One
with the surging food prices, many people kilo of rice, approximately 30 cents in January 2008,
no longer have the option to eat their pre- rose to $1 by April 2008. And for a country in which the
ferred source of protein. Dog thieves motor- average citizen lives on $1 a day, this price shift has had
bike through the city, snapping up dogs with shattering impacts. The food shortage has pushed expo-
wire nooses and selling them at significantly nentially more people into poverty. Since January many
lower prices than traditional meats like pork parents, unable to feed their children, have left them at
and beef. Chea says that when “special meat” the orphanage, praying that the organization can care
is on the menu, most often it contains dog or for their children.
rodents. As Chea drives through the entrance of the
“My brother used to have a dog,” orphanage (a mud patch with thousands of insects) two
Chea shakes his head, “But now, everyone los- adorable and friendly children jump in the tuk tuk and
es their dog. One day they are playing outside scrounge for laps to sit on. Chea comes bearing rice
and then they are gone.” and fruit, the breakfast that he never ate this morning.
Chea, who has been working as a tuk tuk driver The children shriek when they hear him coming and
for the last 25 years, marvels at the stark con- run from all directions, almost toppling over the tuk tuk
trast between the tourist-friendly area and real with excitement. Their guiding hands take me through
Phnom Penh. He enthusiastically points out the orphanage, forcing me to feign excitement by the
the sites of Phnom Penh as he drives to an or- broken double bed that sleeps 14 children and the tiny
phanage outside of the city. “The Royal Palace,” blocks from the Royal Palace, but the government has pot that holds their rice rations for the week.
he says, “where you can forget about the poverty of the since asked all orphanages to relocate outside of the “I don’t have much to give,” Chea says. “I
rest of the country.” city to improve appearances for tourism. work as a tuk tuk driver! We are not paid much and driv-
The orphanage is located 15 kilometers west The orphanage receives no official funding, ing is very expensive. But we all do what we can, not
of the city. In 2007 it stood in the city center, a few so the welfare of more than 200 children is reliant on much, but what we can.”

64 DIYA AUGUST 2008
scoop
Shanghai Stars Stars of John Woo's Red Cliff
John Woo's epic 5-hour thriller Red Cliff stars Hong Kong actor Tony Leung, Japanese-
Shine As Shooting
Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li and John Cusack pose together. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Taiwanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro and Taiwanese actress Lin Chi-Ling. The first part is
Nears End set for July 10 release in Asia, with Part II to follow in January 2009. A single 2 1/2-hour
version will be released in the U.S. in January.
The air of Shanghai is drip- The $80 million project, the most expensive of
ping with romance, mys- its kind outside Hollywood, has already recouped its
tery and history. That’s investment solely on Asia distribution rights, accord-
exactly the feel director ing to producer Terence Chang.
Mikael Hafstrom is trying
to achieve with his film of Red Cliff is the first movie directed by Woo in Asia
the same name. He has the since he left Hong Kong for Hollywood two decades
help of several big stars ago to make thrillers like Face/Off and Mission:
renowned for their ability Impossible II.
to project heavy moods —
Gong Li, Chow Yun-Fat
and John Cusack.
Gong Li had to wait seven

years after reading the script
to start shooting Shanghai.
During that time the script was rewritten five times for a complete makeover
of the main characters. It was also decided that the only way to evoke pre-
WWII Shanghai was to shoot in Thailand.
This Hollywood concoction by the Weinstein Company has Cusack’s

character returning to Japanese-occupied Shanghai four months before Pearl
Harbor to learn that a friend has been killed. He eventually discovers what
many film directors and novelists have discovered — that Shanghai is an
ideal town for intrigue.
Known for alternating between mainstream Hollywood and independent

films, John Cusack says his latest movie “Shanghai” is a rare middle ground
between the two genres.

66 DIYA AUGUST 2008
dj Jazz
scoop
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim show
Showcasing a flair of eastern styles in some of the collections.
DJ Jazz is one of the top Desi DJs in the Dallas area. His extraordinary mixing skills continue to
capture the hearts of his audiences.
Dj Jazz has performed with some of the most popular DJs, at the hottest clubs,
across the nation and internationally. Punjabi and Bollywood music are his main concentration.
Besides spinning the wheels of steel he is also a talented DHOL musician. Dj
Jazz has performs at weddings, delighting the hearts of all the attend.
To book DJ Jazz, call 469-223-9272 or

e-mail info@djjazz.net
Models show off Pistol Panties swimwear. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miss Universe - Dayana Mendoza Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza, a

former kidnapping victim, has beat-
Venezuela en 79 of the world's most beautiful
women to be crowned Miss Universe
2008.
Mendoza, 22, was once kidnapped in

her homeland and she told reporters
that experience taught her to keep
cool under pressure, news agency As-
sociated Press reported.
She told the Miss Universe website:

"I was once kidnapped in what in my
country is known as an express kid-
napping. It was a very hard experi-
ence.
The annual Miss Universe pageant –

which tries to present itself as some-
thing more meaningful than a swim-
wear parade – was first held in Long
Beach, California, in 1952.
The event was taken over in 1996 by

US real estate mogul Donald Trump.
The 15 semi-finalists named at the

beginning of the show were from
Venezuela, Kosovo, Mexico, Viet-
nam, South Africa, Australia, Japan,
the Dominican Republic, Italy, Co-
lombia, Russia, Hungary, the Czech
Republic, the United States and
Spain. [Agencies]
Pictures courtesy: Miss Universe 2008 & NBC Universal.

Rated “Excellent” by Zagat 2007/2008
“Best of fine dining” City search
68 DIYA AUGUST 2008

bollywood events
Music
Release of
‘Chamku’
Urmila and Manish inaugurate Muslin Aamir Khan unveils 'Ganga: A Divinity in Flow' Shreya at the preview of Ces't La Vie
store Aamir Khan unveils the book titled "'Ganga: A Divinity Sunil Shetty, Aporva Lakhia, Shreya Saran, Jiah
in Flow' at a press conference held in Mumbai at Taj Khan, Poonam Dhillon and others. Sunil Shetty
Urmila & Manish Malhotra were the chief guests as Lands End in Bandra. The pictorial book has pics by along with the Mission Istanbul cast graced the pre-
they inaugurated the first ever Muslin home furnishing Atul Bhardwaj and text by Vijay Singal. THe forward of view of lifestyle club called Ces’t La Vie in Mumbai.
store in Mumbai. the book has been written by Amitabh Bachchan.

70
70 DIYA AUGUST
DIYA AUGUST 2008
2008
K

a ru nya
Bangalore.

[ Indian ido
l
Karunya was born on 1st March, 1986 in the city of Hyderabad into a family
of classical singers. Though he has been under the training of his paternal
uncles and aunts since the age of four in Carnatic music, according to him,
his intensive training in the same started under his tauji Mr.N.C.Murthy
since the age of 14. His schooling and initial forays into music were at his
alma mater Brahm Prakash DAV, Kanchanbagh.
Karunya had released an album called ‘Chiru Sarigamalu’ in his childhood
which was launched by South-Indian actor, Megastar Chiranjeevi. He later went on
to win the most acclaimed, ‘Paadutha Theeyaga’ hosted by Dr.SP Balasubrahmanyam
(SPB), on ‘Eenadu Television’. He was appreciated highly by SPB and the audience
2
of Andhra Pradesh for his versatility. He was the leader of his school choir right from
the age of 7 yrs, has participated in many local stage shows and T.V. shows in A.P,has
recorded a number of children,devotional and patriotic songs for several non-film
music directors.At the age of 12 his 2nd album named “Sai Madhuri”,was released
by none other than Sri Sri Satya Saibaba in the presence of Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma in
But, Karunya always wanted to do playback in all the languages, including

Hindi. For this first he started out meeting the local music directors but the going was
very tough since he did not know any important people from the industry. Even then,
in 2005, before he auditioned for Indian idol 2, he had already sung two songs in a
telugu movie ‘Vamsham’.
Indian idol 2:
Once he auditioned for Indian idol 2, there was no looking back for Karunya. He im-
mediately became the darling of the masses with his innocent charm and confidence
while the class loved him for his speckles renditions. He was an instant hit with all the
north Indians because of his unbelievable performance of the Punjabi and Rajasthani
songs .The judges, celebrities and all the other musicians all over India rooted and
prayed for him to win the competition. Especially, Karunya is the sole South Indian
contestant in any reality show to have garnered as much interest as he did. Suddenly,
whole of A.P sat up and took notice of the talents and started rooting for him. In the
end though Karunya did not win the title he was declared the unofficial winner of the
contest by one and all through blogs and the newspapers.
Films:
Sens a t i o n i n Dallas
Contributed
by : Heena (H
orizon Tra
Sarkar (Parineeta fame), Madhu Sarkar.The album was received well by all his fans,
there was a sell out in Hyderabad as well as a place in the charts in Delhi and Kol-
kata.
Shows:
He had done numerous concerts in and abroad India and still continues to do so.He is
a completely different person on the stage. He has also earned a very good name for
his stage antics and dances while singing. His show in Dallas on 7th October 2006 had
an audience of 40,000, the highest for any Indian Artiste in U.S.A. He has extensively
toured America, performed in The Emirates, Singapore and East Africa.
Awards and Rewards:

1. Bharathamuni Award for the best male debut playback singer.
2. The Vamsi-Berkeley award for the best male playback singer.
3. Nandi award by the Govt. of A.P. for a song sung for the teleserial “Melukolupu”.
4. Honored as the “Young rising star of India” by the Under Secretary General, UN,
Mr.Shashi Tharoor.
vel)
After the end of Indian Idol 2, Karunya started realizing his dreams much sooner than
any of his seniors/contemporaries. The very next day after the contest, he was called
for an audition for the prestigious project by none other than the Movie Mogul Vidhu
Vinod Chopra for Lage Raho Munnabhai. He was immensely liked by Vidhuji, direc-
tor Raju Hirani and the music director Shantanu Moitra.The feat which took everyone
by surprise was that he recorded the song in one take in just 15 ins time! Then he sang
two songs for Jai Santoshi Maa, for Anu Malik.After that,he went to Hyderabad to
meet each and everybody of the Telugu film industry who supported him for Indian
Idol. Then he recorded his first Telugu song for one of the most powerful young
Telugu stars Jr. NTR for the film “Ashok”. The song was very well received and
Karunya was flooded with offers in Telugu. He continued being very busy in Telugu
llas!
in Da
by giving huge hits like “Orugalluke Pilla” for the film Sainikudu and “Enduko” for
the film Chirutha and recorded for about 25-30 films till date. He still continues to
l ive
ya
Kar un
sing in many of the Telugu films.
h
st 16t
Album: Augu Star Park
Karunya released his first Hindi album, a self titled “Karunya” on Aug 9th 2008.The
music was composed by Lesle Lewis and the Video directed by sister of Pradeep
Lonned PrairieT,.ToX
rg
Gra t by IAN
Even
AUGUST
AUGUST 2008
71
Movie Reviews
Hollywood
You could safely say this is The Godfather II of comic-
book movies because at its dark heart it really plays like a
crime movie, more L.A. Confidential than Iron Man. Join-
ing a triumvirate to eviscerate crime in Gotham City, Bat-
man (Christian Bale) teams with Lieutenant Jim Gordon
(Gary Oldman) and crusading D.A. Harvey Dent (Aaron
Eckhart) to triumph over evil. But as a true anarchist, The
Joker (Heath Ledger) is unleashed by the mob and de-
termined to cause holy bat terror for no apparent reason
other than his own enjoyment. Right from the beginning,
Batman and his colleagues realize they are not dealing
with any rational criminal and must use all their ingenuity
to combat him. The film explores the extreme damage one
determined person can have on an entire society, an apt
Photo(s) © 2008- Warner Bros
analogy to the real world where local terrorists can create

havoc beyond human belief. Things also get complicated
when a love triangle develops between Batman’s alter-ego
Bruce Wayne, Harvey Dent (who truly has a dark side )
and Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal).
Hollywood.com Says
The Dark Knight is extraordinary, an amazing piece of
filmmaking that rockets the Batman legacy to heights
never imagined, fueled by Heath Ledger’s amazing re-
After re-invigorating the Batman movie franchise by taking him back to his be- invention of The Joker.
ginnings three years ago, director Christopher Nolan again tweaks the superhero MPAA Rating: PG-13
movie genre and turns it on its ear with this riveting and brilliantly executed sequel.
Rating: HHHHI
The Mummy: Tomb of Mamma Mia (PG-13)
the Dragon Emperor (R) Swing Vote (PG-13)
Photo © 2008- Touchstone Pictures
Photo © 2008- Universal Pictures

© 2008- Universal Pictures
Step Brothers (R)

“Brennan Huff, a sporadically employed thir-
ty-nine-year-old, lives with his mother, Nancy.
Dale Doback, a terminally unemployed forty-
year-old lives with his father, Robert. When
Robert and Nancy marry and move in together,
Brennan and Dale are forced to live with each
“Story: The first two Mummy mov- “Story: Considering how close the last “Against all odds, a lightweight Broadway other as step brothers.”
ies were a lot of dumb fun: lost cities two presidential elections were, includ- musical made up of ABBA songs and an Rating: HH II
in the Egyptian desert, tombs full of ing the 2000 race between Gore and Bush innocuous storyline has become a world-
mummies, scarabs, Scorpion Kings. that came down to hanging chads and the wide phenomenon still running and sell- Meet Dave (PG)
The word “mummy” just lends itself to Supreme Court, it was probably inevitable ing out wherever it plays. Now it has been “Dave Ming Chang, newly arrived in New
an Egyptian adventure. But setting the that filmmakers would find a credible way given the big-screen treatment, filmed on York City, may be the ultimate fish out of wa-
to focus on a campaign that somehow location in the Greek Isles. The story basi- ter. He’s forty-something, pleasant looking and
third one in China doesn’t really work. nattily dressed, even if his attire--an all-white
comes down to just ONE vote. If you can cally remains the same (and oddly simi-
An ancient ruthless Dragon Emperor suit, black tie and a neat black handkerchief
accept that premise, you’ll have a great lar to the 1969 Gina Lollobrigida com-
(Jet Li) and his 10,000 warriors who edy Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell) about a tucked in his pocket--harkens back to the dis-
time with Swing Vote, which manages to
have laid forgotten for eons, entombed young girl, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), on co-centric ‘70s.”
be so funny, and ultimately inspiring, you
in clay as a vast, silent Terracotta Army may just want to stand up and cheer. The the eve of her wedding. She has decided Rating: HHIII
just waiting to be awakened to wreak to find out who her real father and so she
Space Chimps (G)
seemingly incredible premise revolves
havoc again isn’t one’s idea of a Mum- around Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner), a invites all three of her mother Donna’s
my movie. A Crouching Tiger, Hidden beer-bellied perpetual loser and divorced (Meryl Streep) ex-loves to the wedding. “OK, so Space Chimps isn’t exactly a Pixar-
Dragon variation, maybe, but not in this dad who finds himself at the epicenter of With the arrival of Sam (Pierce Brosnan), esque masterpiece, but it should serve its pur-
milieu. The original Mummy heroes Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) and Harry (Colin pose of entertaining the young tots.”
a major presidential campaign--thanks
Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) and to his super smart and socially aware 12 Firth), all hell breaks loose as Donna must Rating: HHIII
his wife Evelyn (Maria Bello) are once year-old daughter Molly (Madeline Car- not only deal with the impending nuptials
again involved, but it doesn’t make it roll), who, fed up with Dad’s disinterest, but also the re-emergence into her life of Brideshead Revisited (PG-13)
any better. Even their now grown-up forges his name and sneaks in to cast a three very different--and now older former “You could not ask for a better screen adapta-
vote on her own. When there’s an electri- flames. Helping her through the ordeal are tion of Brideshead Revisited. It’s a stunning,
son Alex (Luke Ford), as a mini-Rick,
cal malfunction, the ballot is nullified...” her two best friends, Rosie (Julie Walters) gripping and visually sumptuous cinematic
can’t help elevate the proceedings. The feast that is like a breath of fresh air in the
By Pete Hammond and the seductive Tanya (Christine Baran-
only saving grace is perhaps Michelle onslaught of summer movies. But purists, be-
Hollywood.com Says ski)...” By Pete Hammond
Yeoh as a sorceress who sticks around ware.”
“As the election season heats up, so do the Hollywood.com Says
long enough to get her revenge on the
politically-themed movies--and right out “Mamma Mia, what a movie! This winner Rating: HHHII
emperor.” by Kit Bowen of the gate is Swing Vote, a non-stop laugh takes it all--an absolutely hilarious, rousing
American Teen (PG-13)
Source: Hollywood.com
Hollywood.com Says and joyous celebration that ought to have you

machine which proves itself to be a landslide “Candid, intimate, and often heart-wrenching,
“Third time is NOT a charm in this case. Be- dancing in the aisles.”
comedy winner.” Nanette Burstein’s documentary American
sides a few cool action moments with Jet Li,
this Mummy should have stayed buried.” Teen captures the confusion and agony of liv-
ing through high school.”
Rating: H III Rating: HHH I Rating: HHHHI Rating: HHHII
72 DIYA AUGUST 2008
Movie Reviews
Asian (Regional)
Shamo (Chinese)
Synopsis / Plot After barbarically slaughtering his parents, sixteen year-old Ryo is sent to a
prison for boys. Continually tortured by his fellow inmates, Ryo takes up karate training after a
savage beating leaves him for dead. Returned to society after three years, Ryo catches the atten-
tion of the local triads for his natural ferocity and dedication to destruction. Convinced to enter
underground, no-rules fighting tournaments, Ryo easily demolishes the competition. Seemingly
unstoppable, Ryo’s inevitable confrontation with champion Sugawara may be his only chance
for respect from the society that has so completely rejected him.
Directed: Pou-Soi Cheang. Genre: Action. Runtime: 01:45:17. Country: Hong Kong
Language: Cantonese. Subtitles: English, Chinese (srt’s are included with the raw idx/sub’s)
Cast: Shawn Yue, Francis Ng. Imdb: Shamo
My Mother, the Na-young (Jeon Do-yeon) is a pretty but demure travel

agent, living with her parents. Her mother Yeon-soon,
Mermaid (Korean) played by the veteran actress Ko Doo-sim (Saving My
Hubby), is a former haenyeo (female divers who make a
living by catching shellfish) and now a back-scrubber in
a public bath. She is a barely literate, tough-as-nails fifty-
something who spits everywhere and cusses like a macho
gangster in an Oliver Stone movie. (The film opens with a
cleverly staged sequence in which Yeon-soon is seeming-
ly grieving over someone’s death during a funeral service,
only to be revealed as accusing the dead man of “dying ir-
responsibly” after having borrowed her husband’s money)
Na-young is desperately embarrassed by her mother’s
shameless, money-grubbing behavior and equally disil-
lusioned by her father’s refusal to fully engage with his
life. When her father, sentenced to a terminal disease,
disappears, Na-young traces him back to Yeon-soon’s
hometown, a remote island in Southwest (Even though the
haenyeo is usually associated with Cheju Island, director
Park made the characters converse in Cholla Province dia-
lect. The authentic Cheju Island dialect would have been
nearly incomprehensible to most Koreans). There, she is
caught in a time slip, a la Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)
and befriends her own mother as a young diver, courted by
the younger version of her father, a postal worker.
Small Town Rivals The Moss (Chinese) Kung Fu Hip Hop The Bullet Wives (Thai)
(Korean) (Chinese)
Born and raised in a rural town, Choon-sam An undercover cop (Shaw Yue) in nightspots “Kung Fu Hip Hop” is a warm touching story Also known as BULLET WIVES. In Thailand
lives a relatively normal life, taking care of and falling for a streetwalker Bonnie Sin of 3 adults who have bravely pursuing of in the near future, women outnumber men so
his father. When the village chief passes away while Fan Siu Wong plays someone conned their dreams and how they overcome all chal- that men become hot commodities, sparking a
through an accident, the villagers unani- into coming to Hong Kong and forced to lenges ahead of them in the dancing world. It vicious war between wives and mistresses as
mously decide that young Choon-sam should worked as an assassin. all starts off with a dance competition which they fight over their men. The film takes this
be perfect to fit in the job. Choon-sam soon Directed: Chi-kin Kwok the 3 main characters are taking part in. From somewhat silly plot and makes a very enter-
has to deal with adversity as his old friend Genre.: Drama/Action there the story continues to show their cre- taining and stylish, if noticeably uneven, film
Runtime: 01:33:07
and school election rival Dae-gyu becomes ativity and passion for music and dance along out of it. The plethora of gunfight sequences
Country: Hong Kong
the county magistrate. This anticipated rivalry Language: Cantonese with what happens in the dance competition. owe everything to John Woo, THE MATRIX
has them fight desperately for not only pre- Subtitles: English/Chinese The 3 of them have break through their highs and KILL BILL (even to the point of the ump-
dominance, but also for pride. Cast: Cha Seung- Cast: Shawn Yue, Seli Xian, Siu-Wong Fan and lows, share their sweat, tears and laugh- teenth rip-off of KB’s “Battles Without Honor
Won, Yu Hae-Jin, Byeon Hee-Bong, Choi Jeong-Won, Bae Il-Jip, Imdb: Ching toi ter, together they solved all difficulties and And Humanity” march-into-the-restaurant
Nam Il-Woo. Subtitles: Korean/English. Runtime: 113 min. challenges in winning the glory of the title scene). The gunfight scenes are choreo-
Genre: Comedy. Directed: Jang Gyu-Seong “Dancing King”. graphed to the point of unreality, but remain
Directed: Fu Huayang extremely effective even so, and occupy the
Genre: Action/Dance film’s best moments.
Runtime: 90 mins Directed: Kittikorn Liasirikun. Runtime: 77 mins. Genre: Ac-
Cast: Joedan Chan, Fan Bingbing, Popin Hyeon-joon, Pan Xi- tion. Subtitles: English/Chinese
aoting, Yang Yang, Gao Min, Xing Aowei

74 DIYA AUGUST 2008
Movie Reviews
Bollywood
narrative that It’s an exceedingly old formula for a romantic com-
give the char- edy given a fresh new spin by a storyteller who picks
acters an edge moments from ordinary lives and converts them into a
over other ur- celebration of life and love.
bane young-
sters who have Old songs (mainly R.D. Burman) and new original
come and gone music by A.R. Rahman coalesce while Jai and Aditi’s
in the past. love story goes through several twists and turns. And
they finally arrive at the traditional end-game for ro-
The bunch of mantic films - the grand reunion at the airport seconds
collegians here before the girl is scheduled to take off for good.
take their cues
from Farhan The flurry is charming, though a little too self-con-
Akhtar’s “Dil sciously designed at times. Peep underneath. And you
Chahta Hai”, see the narration covering a lot of familiar ground...
Rakeysh Meh-
ra’s “Rang De The characters never claim to be extraordinary in their
Basanti” and desires. It’s their ordinary dreams and down-to-earth
even Karan desires which give the narration a spirited spin.
Johar’s “Kuch
Kuch Hota “Jaane Tu...” doesn’t have any message for the audi-
Hai”, but the ences. What it has is an honest story about a bunch
“Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na” - “Abbas Tyrewala’s di- plot is endear- of credible characters told in a fashion that’s casually
rectorial debut, which stars newcomer Imran Khan, ing and fairly original despite the derivative echoes. trendy and warm.
has a certain sparkling spirit, a zest for living life and While the supporting cast of friends are both real and
a certain zing about the way the characters look at life tangible, at the core of this romantic musical are Jai Manoj Lobo’s cinematography and Shan Mohamed’s
and love. (Imran) and Aditi (Genelia) who are ‘best friends’ in editing assist the director in making a film that you’d
the coolest sense of the term. Bantering bum-chums probably like to watch again just to see if you missed
It’s not only about the way the characters’ exuberant at the surface but sharing a much deeper bond under- out a vital bit of the characters’ lives while they were
yearnings connect with the audience, it’s also about neath - all their friends can see that the twosome are looking for love.” By Subhash K Jha
made for each other. But they can’t.
the casual, free-flowing events and dialogues in the Rating: HHHII
Money Hai Toh Honey Kismat Konnection

Love Story 2050 Ugly Aur Pagli
Hai
“A star has most certainly been born. “Ugly Aur Pagli starts off well. And “Give this film a chance. “Money Hai “Quentin Tarantino, while explaining why
There are no two ways about it. After as there are just two main characters, the To Honey Hai” has a certain sincerity of he deleted one of the scenes from his 1994
watching Harman Baweja sing, dance, director manages to establish the charac- purpose and a rather sturdy narrative that masterpiece Pulp Fiction said, “It sounds
emote and entertain in this Adlab presen- ters well. But soon the scenes start getting serves the comic purpose until interval. like someone trying to write like me,
tation for a full three hours, one wonders repetitive, the pace slackens and the inter- (rather) than me.”
if there is anything that this Baweja boy val comes just at the right time. The sec- But that’s when the pace slackens, the in-
from Bollywood can’t do. ond half is slower, different versions of the terest-level droops and the chuckles drop No line could better describe Aziz Mir-
Yes, maybe there is some- same scenes are repeated with a few witty drastically to make way for a touching za’s new film Kismat Konnection, which
thing Harman can’t do. He can’t make and funny dialogues. In the last few scenes and simple climax that tells us it’s okay to marks his return to direction after a span
us forget for even a minute that he knows the director, probably worried about the be ordinary and that living is about letting of nearly five years. It feels like Aziz
every component of the camera although length, suddenly decides to end it quickly. your dreams run free. Mirza trying to make an Aziz Mirza film,
he has never acted before. The confidence What follows is a series of illogical and ut- which is a pity- for despite their apparent
level stops just short of being cocky and terly hard to digest scenes. What the direc- Upen and Hansika pull out all stops. And ordinariness, it was the effortless charm
overdone. He is never short of a positive tor should have done though was chopping Celina Jaitley, who plays a fashion de- and generosity of heart that characterized
and productive attitude.It is clear that off 3 of the 4 songs, which add nothing to signer who dreams of making clothes for his previous films that made them so very
producer-director Harry Baweja has made the movie. The love story works, but it’s the working class, tugs at the heart. endearing.
“Love Story 2050” as a showcase for his the climax that disappoints. Aannuu Malik It’s not as if the film’s all that bad- it’s
son’s aptitudes. To that extent, the film has changed his name and added an addi- The story is basically of dreamers coming never exactly unwatchable, and after see-
works wonderfully, creating repeated op- tional ‘Anu’ to his name, nothing much has together to assert their yearnings in ways ing most other films this year, trust me
portunities for the debutant to shine. changed with the music though, and it still that are sometimes interesting and some- when I say I’ve seen much worse. But
Finally though, the effort remains the same, strictly below average. times listless.” By Subhash K Jha a feel-good film should make you feel
doesn’t overpower the heart content and To sum things up, Ugly Aur Pagli is mostly good, and that’s not exactly the emotion
intent of the plot. This is actually a far bet- slow even boring at times but the perfor- I’m feeling right now. Well, well- what
ter film than its genre and lavish budget mances make it worth a watch on DVD.” can I say, Mr. Mirza, except- better luck
would suggest.” By Subhash K Jha By Jahan Bakshi next time?” By Jahan Bakshi
Rating: HHIII Rating: HIIII Rating: HHIII Rating: HHIII

movie Reviews
Tamil
Kuselan Uliyin Osai Subiramaniyapuram Muniyandi...
The film is about Rajini himself and his mass “Oliyin Osai (Sound is chisel) is based on the “The audience is transported to the 80s when The age-old caste feud is the focus of the sto-
image without typical mass elements which love story, “Sarapallam Chamundi, written the step-cutting, bell-bottoms and big collars ry which revolves around the life of a college
are essential ingredients of his films. There by Kalaignar Karunanidhi (incumbent Chief were in vogue. Even the vehicles used be- student who is caught up in a clash of egos
are no punch dialogues. There are no stunt se- Minister) in 1964 and published in his party longed to that period. Every scene in the first between two elders.
quences like those in any of his earlier films. organ, “Murasoli”. half of the film is given a realistic touch. The The college scenes set in rural
It is perhaps the first film that Rajini has no “Uliyin Osai” is a 10th century storyline is so captivating that the director can milieu are realistic. The students, professors,
villain to fight with and vanquish. period flick. King Rajaraja Chozha wanted to do without big names in the cast. their accents and attires look straight out of
Rajini occupies the centre stage have 108 sculptured pillars in the famous Big Samudrakani, a director himself, life. Bharat plays a highly temperamental and
in his extended ‘guest’ role in “Kuselan” and Temple at Thanjavur. But he got only 82 of depicts the role of villain with finesse. Music emotional character. His impressive perfor-
is projected as a man of the masses in real them. Why the grandiose project could not be director James Vasanth also is new to film mu- mance may even help him put the not-so con-
life too. The film also serves as a platform completed is what the story is about. sic. He has been doing television anchoring vincing “Nepali” behind and move forward.
for Rajini to answer some of the questions While Kalaignar’s script is for 15 years. His passion for music is evident Ponvannan does his character as a village el-
which he has ducked till now. Why his annual the soul of the film, Ilayaraja’s music is the in this film. Retro effect cinematography by der with ease. All others in the cast do a neat
Himalayan sojourns? Would he ever take the lifeline. All six songs make a sweet-scented Kadhir and art work by Rambone is excel- job.The tunes of Vidyasagar are a tad rustic
plunge into politics? Why has he chosen to do bouquet. The background score en hances the lent. but gel with the rural ambience.
only commercial movies? You get the answers impact. This Thirumugan’s second out-
through the Sundara Rajan character. There Times have changed since “Para- “Subramaniyapuram” is a film which de- ing with Bharat is said to have been inspired
are two songs showcasing him though they sakthi”. “Uliyin Osai” though set in the 10th serves appreciation for it is rooted in realism.” by a real life happening in the Karaikudi area.
have no bearing on the theme of the movie. century historical background, has the aura of By PVS With high drama and a spectacular climax ,
One of them is “Cinema, Cinema” in celebra- modern times. It is a soul-stirring saga of bro- the film can be expected to be a big draw.
tion of the 75 years of Tamil cinema. ken hearts brilliantly captured on celluloid.”
Rating: HHHII Rating: HH II Rating: HH II Rating: HHHII
76 DIYA AUGUST 2008

Reviews
Telugu
Ullasanga Utsahanga Hare Ram Sangamam Ready
“Aravind (Yasho Sagar) is happy go lucky Harikrishna and Ram (both played by Kaly- Sanskruthi (Sindura) is the loving daughter Chandrasekhar or Chandu (Ram), a youth
guy. He falls in love with Dhana Lakshmi anram) are born twins, but Ram is diagnosed of a patriotic, good Samaritan Raghava Rao from a loving joint family comprising of
(Sneha Ullal) who comes to her friend’s home to be soft-headed and he develops a grudge on (Avinash?) in the village of Munaganuru. Due families of three brothers Raghupathi (Nazar
in the same locality. He makes friendship with anyone who’s more intelligent than he is. In to his brother Jagadish (Muralimohan) who & Sudha), Raghava (Tanikella Bharani & Pra-
her and proposes his love but she refuses on a situation where their dad (Chandramohan) broke his word to the village and left to the gathi), Rajaram (Giridhar & Satya Krishnan),
the ground that she has already fallen in love is very concerned about Ram hurting even USA, Raghava Rao has a serious aversion and a sister Swarajyam (Rajitha & Chan-
with her childhood friend Balaji and waiting Harikrishna for the latter’s being more intel- towards the USA. Still, it becomes inevitable dramohan), is a daring guy who takes any
for his call. Dhanalakshmi asks Aravind to re- ligent, their mother (Seetha) walks out of the that Sanskruthi goes to the USA, but she is amount of risk for a good cause. In a mixup to
main just friends but he says he continues to house with Ram, in order to protect her men- equally averse to meeting her uncle, thus stay- help his friend Gopi (Ravi Varma) marry his
love her. He leaves for Culcutta to get a job tally affected child. In a turn of events, Hari, ing with Dr. Geetha (Suhasini) in Washington, lady love, Chandu and his friends (Srinivasa
while She is off to the same city as she finds raised by his uncle and aunt (Chalapati Rao & D.C. She eventually meets a NRI agriculture Reddy, Suman Shetty, etc.) bring from anoth-
that her Balaji is residing there. Both board Sudha), turns out to be an IPS officer - the As- scientist Abhiram (Rohit Khurana) who ex- er marriage hall a bride Pooja (Genelia) who’s
on the same train and then friendship blooms sistant Commissioner of Police (ACP). presses his love towards her. What roles have about to get married against her wish.
into love. Will she choose Balaji or Aravind? Dr. Geetha and Jagadish to play? Does this
The film has a not-new story told in a decent way, love story even take off before her stay abroad Ready is a neat family entertainer with an appreciable
coupled with decent enough performances by every- dose of clean comedy. General audience looking for
Don’t expect another Toliprema, but Karunk- is complete?
one. The film is surely an okay film, but how the film refreshing comedy can enjoy the movie so well. The
aran comes with good youthful entertainer fares actually is to be seen. It seems to be inspired by The reason that this movie made to
story and treatment has shades of Gudumba Shankar
this time. Ullasanga Utsahanga has cool vi- Korean film Soo (2007). the headlines was essentially that this movie starred
to a large extent, but good-natured comedy makes the
suals and peppy music. Good time pass and Gadde Sindura, the Telugu girl who went places with
movie quite enjoyable for a light viewing.
her participation in beauty pageants. One can watch
urban movie.” Cast: Yasho Sagar (Debutant),
the movie to satiate that interest to see her Telugu de-
Sneha Ullal, but, because there’s not much in the movie apart from
good music and intriguing debut of the heroine.
Rating: HH II Rating: HHHII Rating: HHHII Rating: HHHII
78 DIYA AUGUST 2008

Malayalam
Madambi
“After his debut directorial venture Smart

City (which was rather unimpressive),
scenarist-turned-director B. Unnikrishnan
delivers a much better film in Madambi,
that could very well be hit material.
To sum up, though Madambi is for the

most part a one-man show by Mohanlal,
the film is not too bad and is watchable.
While it may not send the producers laugh-
ing all the way to the bank, they certainly
won’t be crying.” By Thomas T
Rating: HHHII
Kanichu Kulangarayil
CBI
I have always believed that suspense is an in-

tegral element in any investigative flick until
I found myself seated along with less than
a dozen spectators to see what Kanichuku-
langarayil CBI is all about. Allegedly based
on a few real life incidents, this whodunit is
just another generic suspense film destined
to hover around cinehalls for a week before
tumbling into obscurity.
Technicalities? You should be joking!
KCBI never reaches any level of competence

that’s expected of a thriller. It’s a confused and
absolutely confusing enterprise that would
have an embarrassed CBI running for cover. It’s really sad to see that director Bibin Prabha- My Mother’s Laptop
kar and scenarist Babu Janardhanan couldn’t My Mother’s Laptop has an
Rating: HIIII manage to etch out a more meaty role for a emotionally charged nar-
veteran actor like Thilakan, who elicits quite rative that tells a haunting
a few boos playing the character of Karuna- tale of a mother and her son
One Way Ticket karan Ezhuthachchan. And this when the role entrapped in a swamp of
would have suited the calibre of someone as passion and emotions from
versatile as Thilakan. which there is no return.
There is nothing much to men- A mournful meditation on
tion about the technical aspects of the film. lost innocence, it assumes
Two of the three songs in the film seem out of an elegiac tone to emerge a
place, while the Oppana song “En khalbile...”, compelling film of the first
penned by actress Kavya Madhavan, is good. order.
The main problem with One Way Ticket is Laptop is never for a moment judgmental or apologetic; it
that it bases itself on a weak plot. The first doesn’t ever gawk cross-eyed on its lead characters. It’s an astoundingly
half of the film is watchable, but post-interval powerful debut film from Rupesh Paul, that’s vividly caught on film, terrifi-
it just drags on, with nothing much to say. To cally acted and profoundly heartfelt. Resolutely rooted in its own convic-
sum up, One Way Ticket falls far below ex- tions, it’s a raw and refreshing movie that’s blatantly honest and downright
pectations. By Thomas T human. By VN
Rating: HHIII Rating: HHHII

80
80 DIYA AUGUST
DIYA AUGUST 2008
2008
Rajendra
President of The India Association of North Texas (IANT)
written by anu russell

Photo by Nikesh (Bombay Photography)
Invites you to the
32nd Anand Bazaar and it is held on the

Saturday, August 16th
Celebration of India’s Independence Day!

The primary objectives of the organization is to provide a common plat-
form to all members living in the North Texas area for pursuing their com-
mon goals and sharing their concerns while promoting joint efforts in the
social, cultural, educational and charitable activities of the members.
H
The organization contributes to various functions that are held and the nu-
merous events that are celebrated by members of the community such as
He was an Indian with an American dream. Born in Burma and raised in
India’s Independence Day, Republic Day, etc.
Surat, Gujrat, Rajendra Vankawala moved to Dallas in 1984, immediately
after graduating from college. He wanted to establish himself as an entre-
Anand Bazaar is an open air event organized and hosted by IANT with
preneur and realized his dream with the help of his supportive family. He
the help of many local businesses and the DFW community. For the past
built his empire owing several franchises in the DFW metroplex and man-
few years it has been held at the Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie and the
aging them with the help of his wife, brothers and their family.
event has attracted many thousands of people of Indian origin as well as
people from other communities. The event is conducted around India’s
Rajendra had a passion for social service. He was always interested in
Independence Day.
working for the community and he felt a need to give back to the Dallas
Indian community what they had given him when he had just moved to
This year, 2008, it will be the 32nd Anand Bazaar and it is held on
Dallas. In 1998, he decided to take a break from the franchises he was
the Saturday of August 16 starting at 5.30pm and all the way through
running and work for New York Life Insurance (NYLI) and has been there
12.00pm. Anand Bazaar promises an evening filled with Games, entertain-
since then. While at NYLI, he made it to the million dollars round table
iant president
ment, face painting for children. food, parade and last but not the least,
three times in a row, which is a prestigious honor bestowed only upon 2%
Fireworks. There is something for people from all age groups. . Quality
of all NYLI employees around the world. He was also the recipient of the
cultural programs organized and conducted by the IANT youth and DJ’s
Best New Agent award as well as the Forth Worth Association of Insur-
will be there to entertain youngsters as well.
ances Gama award at NYLI.
Karunya of Indian Idol fame will be there to entertain everyone with songs
The switch in his career from being a multiple franchise owner to working
from Indian movies. Arohi, a local Dallas band will be accompanying
for NYLI freed up a lot of his time giving him time to spend with his fam-
Karunya providing him with the background score.
ily as well as follow his interest in community service.
The program is showcased on both local print as well as International tele-
Apart from hailing from the family that was a part of founding the DFW
vision as it is considered to be one of the biggest events in the USA. The
Hindu Temple Rajendra started working closely with the IANT. He spent
expected turn over this year is at least 15,000 people. There will be 190+
late hours helping them organize the Consular Service in Dallas until such
business promotional stalls, food vendors and other entertainers participat-
time they were held here among assisting the organization with other activ-
ing in the event.
ities. With hard work and dedication he slowly climbed the ladder. Today
he is the President of The India Association of North Texas (IANT).
It is a family event and everyone is welcome for a relaxed and fun filled
evening while reliving memories from our homeland.
Not only Rajendra but his entire family including his wife Ina, daughters
Divya and Tanvi are actively involved with the Indian community, not just
Lastly, IANT has promised to send a part of the proceeds to organizations
at local level but in a nation level as well.
in India that are working towards saving the diminishing Tiger popula-
tion in India. This might be your chance to contribute to saving Indian’s
IANT is a Non-Profit, non-political, non-sectarian organization that was
national animal by purchasing the tickets and participating in the event.
formed in 1962 with the primary purpose of serving the cultural and edu-
With that said Jai Hind! DM
cational needs of the North Texas Indian community.
AUGUST
AUGUST 2008
81
82 DIYA AUGUST 2008
Diya Health Corner with advice
Dr. Manvinder Kainth
Pediatrics: that are mixed together or have too many different colors
My child is two years old and she just won’t eat enough. I or textures.
2. Respect dislikes. For example, if your child hates on-
have to constantly try to force him to eat something. What
ions, do not force him or her to eat onions. Instead re-
can I do? introduce onions when the child is a bit older.
The first thing to do is to be sure that your child’s 3. At meal and snack time, give easy choices. For ex-
growth and development are normal. This can be done ample, never ask “What would you like to eat? Instead
by speaking with your child’s doctor who will review ask “Would you like cereal or toast?” “Would you like an
his growth chart and ask you specific questions about apple or some crackers?”
his language and activities. Once you know your child 4. Do not tolerate complaining about food. Let your
is growing and developing well, try to relax. He/she child know it is okay to decline a certain food or push it to
is eating enough total food and calories per day. Your the side of the plate, but that complaining is not allowed.
child is likely what we call a picky eater. A picky eater If your child starts to whine, give him/her a warning. If it
is a child who may refuse certain foods and complain at continues, send them away from the table for 5 minutes.
meal and snack time. The biggest mistake that parents If it happens again, put their food in the fridge and advise
make is trying to force, beg or bribe their child to eat. him/her to let you know when he/she is ready to eat with-
This usually results in a power struggle and becomes out complaints.
less about disliking certain foods and more about who 5. Do not argue about food. Be calm and firm in your
ultimately has the power in the relationship. Instead, voice.
try the following:
The most important thing to remember is that your child’s
1. Keep foods simple. Children tend to dislike foods hunger will always overcome their struggle for power.
About Practice info:
Dr. Manvinder Kainth grew up in Canada and lived a number years in Houston and Seattle. Is currently Dr. Manvinder Kainth is Board Certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and offers compre-
living in Dallas and working as a general practice family medicine physician. In her spare time, she hensive medical care for the whole family from newborns to the elderly. Lake Highlands Medical Part-
enjoys spending time with friends and family, attending concerts, traveling and learning Tae Kwon Do. ners is located near Richardson at 8330 Abrams Road, Suite 112, Dallas, TX in the Town Creek Shopping
Center. Same day appointments are usually available. For an appointment, please call 214-553-9009
or visit www.lakehiglandsmedicalpartners.com.
Got questions? E-mail us at info@DiyaMagazine.com. Type in “Health” in the subject line.
ASK THE LOVE EXPERT

Problems causing you distress in life?
Send in your worries, we will help you
out! TheLoveExpert@DiyaMagazine.com
what you were used to. At one point when you

were younger maybe yes, you did tell your par-
ents everything. But now, teenagers only stick to
their friends to confide in. Don’t fee bad about it.
At the same token, don’t dismiss her relationship
with her ex boyfriend as puppy love. When you’re
in high school, there is no such thing as puppy
love. They love each other like no other. Chances
are she is pretty hung up over him. Do this- just
sit with her one day and talk about random stuff-
like a heartbreaking high school story of yourself.
Try to make her see that you can relate. If she still
doesn’t feel like talking to you, don’t force it.
Q: My daughter just broke up with her boy-
Teenagers don’t expect their parents to give them
friend in high school. I didn’t even think it was
love advise because it’s either awkward, times
serious! But she seems to be taking it very bad-
have changes, or face it, parents are considered
ly. She cries too much, and she barely comes
“uncool” to them. Just make sure she is surround-
out of her room. I didn’t think puppy love
ed by a good group of friends who will take care
make her break like this. I want to help but she
of her emotional distress. Welcome to teenagers
doesn’t want it. What do I do?
101. Buckle up; it will be a crazy ride!
A: Teenagers are a little different these days than

84 DIYA AUGUST 2008
food
Cha Siu Bao
Chinese dish. Source:
1. Stir-fry pork, mushrooms and scallions briefly in the oil.
2. Add sauces and sugar.
3. Thicken with cornstarch mixed with the water.
4. Cool.
5. Make bread dough.
For instructions on how to make the dough for this recipe, please
perform search at the recipe section: Dough for Steamed Buns.
6. Roll dough into sausage shape.
7. Cut into 12 pieces; roll each into a ball and flatten with the
fingers.
8. Place filling in center.
9. Pinch dough up around filling, twisting to close.
10. Place each on a small square of paper.
11. Let rise for 15 minutes.
12. Set in a steamer basket and steam for 15 minutes.
Size Specifics Ingredients
1. 12 oz. diced Chinese roast pork
2. 2 tbsp. cold water
3. 3 tbsp. chopped scallions (green/spring onions)
4. 4 0. soaked and chopped dried black mushrooms
5. 2 tsp. cornstarch (cornflour)
6. 1 tbsp. sugar
7. 1 tbsp. vegetable oil

86 DIYA AUGUST 2008
Rating: HHHHH Excellent HHHHI Good HHHII Average HHIII Fair RESTAURANT REVIEW
Rates are based upon:
- Service
- Atmosphere
- Good for Group, Family
- Food Authenticity
- Taste Authenticity
- Pricing ($ Very Affordable: $$ Moderate: $$$ Pricey: $$$$ Expensive)
Reviewed by Staff writers & Anthony Tran
Samui Thai Cuisine try to pad kee mao or panaeng curry. Dallas, TX
Plano/Allen, TX HHHH Food Authenticity HHH Taste Authenticity HHH 12817 Preston Rd., # 105 Dallas, TX (972) 392-0190
Service HHH Atmosphere $$ Pricing For excellent and the finest Indian cuisine in Dallas, visit the India
5700 Legacy Dr., Plano, TX (972) 398-2807
Palace Restaurant and Bar. The elegant, softly lit interior is the
Some of the best Thai food you will experience. All of the curry
Bistro B Restaurant (Vietnamese Cuisine) perfect setting for a relaxing meal. The Dallas Observer has named
dishes are exceptional. The service is good and the ambience is
Dallas/Grand Prairie, TX one of the first Indian restaurants in Dallas, India Palace “Best
perfect. If you like Thai food you will love this place. This family
9780 Walnut St. Dallas, TX (214) 575-9885 Indian Restaurant” for the past 12 years. In fact, India Palace has
run Thai restaurant breaks the mold with an amazing design,
Bistro B is actually a Vietnamese/Pho restaurant, not French as been named “Best” and 4 STARS by several sources, including D
wonderful fresh food ranging from traditional dishes like pad Thai
the name might implied. With two locations, the menu is amazing. Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Zagats.
and Thai fried rice to Thai infused dishes like their great Sea Bass
There are over 300 menu items including soups, rice dishes, noodle HHHH Food Authenticity HHH Taste Authenticity HHHH
entrance. There is also a full service bar and generous patio.
bowls, spring rolls, and so much more. They also do groups, family Service HHHH Atmosphere HHH Group, Family $$$ Pricing
HHHH Food Authenticity HHHH Taste Authenticity HHHH
Service HHHH Atmosphere HHH Group, Family $$$ Pricing style and have a wide variety of delicious tea based drinks. All of
the food is incredibly fresh, especially the rice, paper spring rolls Arc-En-Ciel Restaurant (Chinese/Vietnamese)
are amazing. It is very fast paced with lots of servers running all Garland, TX
Jasmines I & II (Thai Cuisine)
over the place. Severs don’t have sections so you probably won’t 3555 W Walnut St., # E Garland, TX (972) 272-2188
Plano, TX
see the same one twice. This is one of the very first Chinese/Vietnamese restaurants in
2050 W Spring Creek Pkwy Plano, TX (972) 517-1677
HHHH Food Authenticity HHHH Taste Authenticity HH Garland, attracting diverse clienteles, as there are colors in a
One of the very few small, family oriented best values in Plano,
Service HHH Atmosphere HHH Group, Family $$ Pricing rainbow. The name, then, is appropriate: It’s French for rainbow.
TX. Pricing are reasonable, authentic and large portions of the best
But what keep the customers coming back time after time are the
Thai food. Jasmine I & II are small modest place with a friendly
magnificent Chinese and Vietnamese dishes. The decor
staffs. For the appetizers go for the corn patties or the chicken
satay, you won’t be disappointed. All the dishes are delicious, but India Palace (Asian Indian Cuisine) >>

Restaurant Guide remains simple and functional, since the food serves as the main event here. Try eating dim
sum, or a la cart, to get a chance to sample a wide variety of dishes. However be careful, Dim
el
Sum is not all you can eat, so it can become a bit pricey.
E
HER
HALNQUET
lev
G
OUT
HHHH Food Authenticity HHHH Taste Authenticity HHH Service HHH Atmosphere
ERIN
OSP
NAME CUISINE LOCATION
Spice
HHH Group, Family $$$ Pricing.
E
PRIC
ATM
CAT
BA
TAK
Akbar Indian Dressy $$ ü ü  Plano
Al Hamra Indo/Pak Casual $ ü ü  Carrollton
Jade Garden (Chinese/Vietnamese)
Al Markaz Pakistani Casual $ ü ü  Carrollton Dallas, TX
Apna Bazar Indian Casual $ ü ü  Carrollton 4800 Bryan St. Dallas, TX (214) 821-0675
BBQ Tonite Indo/Pak Casual $ ü ü ü  Carrollton Serving Chinese/Vietnamese Cuisines for over 20 years in Dallas, Jade Garden is well known
Bhatia Mart Indian Casual $ ü ü  Plano for it’s outstanding Asian food. This is easily one of the best Chinese/Vietnamese places in
Bombay Chinese Indo-Chinese Casual $$ ü ü  Richardson Dallas/Fort Worth. The restaurant prices are dirt cheap, BYOB, abundant food that is as good,
Bombay Grill Indian Dressy $$ ü ü  Fort Worth great service. If you prefer authentic Chinese/Vietnamese food, this is a good place to start.
Bombay Sweets Indian Irving Don’t be fool by the outside appearance. Step inside and taste what’s all the fuss about.
Casual $ ü ü 
HHHH Food Authenticity HHHH Taste Authenticity HHH Service HH Atmosphere
Chaat Cafe Indian fast food Casual $$ ü ü  Dallas
HHH Group, Family $ Pricing.
Tandoor Grill Indo/Pak Casual $ ü ü  Plano
Chettinad Palace South Indian Casual $ ü ü  Plano
Cindi’s N.Y. Delicatessen Restaurant & Bakery (Traditional
Clay Pit Indian Upscale $$$ ü ü  Addison
American Cuisine) Dallas, TX
Curry’s Indian Casual $ ü ü  Irving
1111 N. Central Expressway Dallas, TX (214) 739-0918
Dunes Indo/Pak/Med Casual $ ü ü  Irving With 4 different locations around the Dallas Metroplex, Cindi’s is the best place in town to
Flavors Indian Upscale $$ ü ü  Addison eat homemade and traditional breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The waitresses are very friendly
Goga Sweets Indian Casual $ ü ü  Carrolton and attentive. Fresh hot coffee on the table the whole time. Plenty on the menu to select
Gopal Gujarati Casual $ ü ü  Richardson from and always hot when served. This is a clean and neat restaurant; great place to take
Grand Cafe American Casual $$ ü ü  Richardson your family and the kids. The menu is extensive, offering everything from pancakes, pigs in a
Haveli Indo/Pak Dressy $$ ü ü ü  Irving blanket, potato pancakes, and waffles, to omelets, delicious sandwiches including patty melts,
pastrami, corned beef, hearty soups, stews, hamburger steaks, spaghetti, fish platters and
Hot Breads Continental Casual $ ü ü  Richardson/Irving
more. Beyond breakfast, the menu continues to provide choices from salads to hamburgers
Jasmine Cafe Middleastern Dressy $$ ü ü  Richardson to soups and steaks. Daily specials range from hot soups on the weekends to roast beef and
India House Indian Casual $$ ü ü  Euless steaks on Tuesday.
India Palace Indian Upscale $$$ ü ü ü  Dallas HHHH Food Authenticity HHHH Taste Authenticity HHHH Service HHH Atmo-
Indian Food Indian Casual $$ ü ü  Irving sphere HHHH Group, Family $$ Pricing.
Indiya Fusion Indian Casual $$$ ü ü  Irving
Kalachandji Fusion Casual $$ ü ü  Dallas Benihana (Japanese Cuisine)
Kashmir Kashimiri Casual $$ ü ü  Euless Dallas, TX
Kokila Indian Casual $$ ü ü  Lewisville 314 E. Main St. Dallas, TX (972) 387-4404
Kebab ‘n Kurry Indian Dressy $$ ü ü  Richardson Diners sit around large tables where chefs ostentatiously chop, slice, stir-fry and grill. Entree
options are simple--shrimp, chicken, steak and scallops, and preparation is uniform. Every
Madras Pavilion South Indian Casual $ ü ü ü  Richardson
entree comes with a similar stock of sides: rice, onion soup, shrimp appetizer, iceberg lettuce
Maharaj Restaurant Indian Dressy $ ü ü  Dallas drizzled with dressing, sauteed vegetables and green tea. Pricing is just as affordable as Red
Masala Diner Indian Casual $ ü ü  Irving Lobster these days. But Better!! Get entertain, eat and enjoy.
Masala Wok Indo/chinese Casual $$ ü ü  Irving HHH Food Authenticity HHH Taste Authenticity HHHH Service HHHH Atmosphere
Mayuri Indian Dressy $$ ü ü  Irving HH Group, Family $$$ Pricing.
Noodle Wave Vietnamese Dressy $ ü ü  Richardson
Our Place Indian Casual $$ ü ü ü  Irving Tokyo One (Japanese Cuisine)
Pasand Indian Dressy $$ ü ü ü  Richardson/Irving Addison, TX
Ruchi Palace Indian Casual $$ ü ü ü  Carrollton 4350 Belt Line Rd. Addison, TX (972) 386-8899
Rice 1 Roll Indian Casual $ Irving Patrons can sit at booths or tables; classic Asian paintings adorn the walls. Sushi chefs are
ü ü 
quick to offer tips and suggest items. The atmosphere easily accommodates big groups
Roti Grill Indian Dressy $$ ü ü  Dallas/McKinney
hungry for a lot of sushi. California rolls and standard salmon rolls are for beginners, while
Royal Sweets Fast food Casual $ ü ü 
those who feel more adventurous can try the shark fin and jellyfish rolls or marinated baby
Shammy’s Middle eastern Casual $$ ü ü  Dallas octopus. Overall a pretty good blend of being an upper-end atmosphere without being
Shish Kabob Middle eastern Casual $ ü ü  Irving snobby. Customers seemed pretty dressed up for this place.
Silver Spoon Pakistani Causal $ ü ü  Richardson HHHH Food Authenticity HHH Taste Authenticity HHH Service HHHH Atmosphere
Sitar Indian Dressy $$$ ü ü  Plano HHH Group, Family $$$ Pricing.
Taj Chaat Indian Casual $$ ü ü  Irving
Tandoor Grill Indo/pak Casual $ ü ü  Arlington Zander’s House (Vietnamese Cuisine)
Taste of India Indian Dressy $ ü ü  Plano Plano, TX
Taste of Pakistan Pakistani Casual $ Euless 2300 N. Central Expressway Plano, TX (972) 943-9199
ü ü 
Great exterior and modern interior look, serving Vietnamese Cuisines in North Dallas. Good
Tawa Grill Indo/Pak Casual $ ü ü  Dallas
food in a classy and arty environment. The restaurant’s lunch menu is full of typical Vietnam-
Temptations Indo/Pak Causal $ ü ü ü  Irving ese dishes - spring rolls, soups, vermicelli(rice noodle) dishes. They are very well prepared,
Tharas South Indian Dressy $$ ü ü  Irving beautifully presented, and very reasonably priced. The atmosphere is much better since they
Chat Corner Indian Casual $ ü ü  Richardson took over this August Moon location, put up dividers, art, flat-screen TVs and a full bar. The
Saffron House Indian Dressy $$$ ü ü  Addison restaurant is very clean, white tablecloths and brisk, with helpful and friendly service.
Udipi Cafe South Indian Casual $$ ü ü  Richardson HHH Food Authenticity HHH Taste Authenticity HHHH Service HHHH Atmosphere
Bombay Sizzlers Indian Casual $$ ü ü  Irving HHHH Group, Family $$ Pricing. DM
Wok of Fame Indo chinese Dressy $ ü ü ü  Garland
Zyka Indian Casual $ ü ü  Richardson
88 DIYA AUGUST 2008

90 DIYA AUGUST 2008
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asian lifestyle magazine vol 6 | NO 8 | issue # 38 | august 2008

6 DIYA AUGUST 2008

44 76 Tamil Movie Reviews

Support Diya Magazine (& the advertisers)

EXECUTIVE EDITOR SWAPNIL RAI

Office Manager RAhul Kolluri

GENERAL MANAGER & ANTHONY TRAN

Sales manager janet rashell

Photos: Jack Hollingsworth

CONTRIBUTING tracey mallette, abhisek nagrath,

COPY EDITORS Amy Presley, Prashant Gupta & RENU

Monicca Sharmaa Rick Kolluri

AUGUST 2008 WWW.DIYAMAGAZINE.COM 11

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8) MINI Cooper 9) Ford Escape Hybrid

Tip No. 2: Knock On Doors

Tip No. 3: Tap Your State (It May Be Faster)

Tip No. 4: Cater To Your Audience

Tip No. 5: Hit The Conference Circuit

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When I overhauled my diet a year ago, my husband hopped right on

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Join us every Sunday!

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The following are this year’s Excellence in Education Award re-

DCCCD Scholarship Recipients: Date Chin, An Lu, Duy Nguy-

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Journey from Punjab to New Mexico

One challenge we had early on,

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Written By Manuja shukla

At the university he has been very active in publishing research papers

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We honor these achievements made by Dr. Beldona in such a short time

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