A BYTE OF LIFE Wednesday, December 31, 2008

10 02
AFTER SAAWARIYA Mee and my party
Sanjay Leela working with Hrithik Your search for party clothes ends here

FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 2 No. 249

T here are a lot of ways to remember 2008.

There are of course the Mumbai terror at-
tacks, the global economic meltdown and the
fear of pink slips on one hand; and on the oth-
er, our first unmanned mission to moon, the

Keep
first Olympic gold medal and the unquestion-
able surge of Indian cricket team.
At Ergo, we would like to remember the year
for all the effort we put together in bringing
out the tabloid and more importantly the syn-

the ergy we created with you. Over the past year,

we have received more than 14 Gigabytes of
photographs for Clickpick. For the relatively
new my.ergo pages, we have already received

spirits, more than 5,000 emails. We have received sev-

eral article contributions from our readers. And
we have managed to feature some of our read-
ers in the news column too.

drive We will remember the year for the first edi-

tion of Ergo Blitz inter-corporate culturals held
at the Image auditorium in MRC Nagar.
On behalf of the entire team, I wish every

safe one of you a very Happy New Year 2009. Keep

the spirits, party hard but drive home safe.
And await some exciting new columns in the
New Year.
Thanks and regards,
S.Karthik
Editor
Email feedback@goergo.in
02 NAMMA CHENNAI ERGO Wednesday, December 31, 2008

All new high at 601

The Park has an all-new menu at 601. With the choicest of ingredients
sourced from around the world, the cuisine is global in concept. The focus of
the menu is Italian, with new flavours from Japanese cuisine. To top it all,
wines from across the globe will be served. For reservations call 4267 6000.

Mee and my party

A little store on
Cathedral Road
Cheque this New Year card could be housing
the party dress
S nail mails, e-cards, SMSes or
bouquets… there are many
avenues for you to get or send you’re hunting for
New Year greetings. But for
the hundreds of friends of R.
Sivakumar it is a greeting card ANUSHA PARTHASARATHY
designed like a cheque
enclosed in an envelope that is

I
f you are a woman looking
waiting to greet them every year.
for party clothes that are
It’s around three decades since this retired
you, maybe it’s time you vis-
banker started sending this self-designed card
ited Mee, on Cathedral
with which he surprises friends, doctors and
Road. Deepal Dalal and Shivani
traders on New Year. The Account Payee
Shroff, two young girls in their
cheque reads ‘Days 365/-’ (Three hundred and
20s, made Mee all about you.
sixty-five days of peace, prosperity and
Deepal and Shivani are socia-
happiness) and is issued by ‘Bank of Almighty’
lites who found it difficult to get
which is ‘Incorporated in Heaven’.
casual party clothes in the city.
“‘Bank of Almighty’ is to signify that God is
After strenuous shopping rou-
universal,” says the former Indian Bank
tines, they decided to open a
employee, who has also designed currency Deepal and Shivani (below) of Mee. PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN
store for party clothes and ac-
notes and raffle tickets.
cessories so that it needn’t be
Sivakumar, through his unique card, strikes a
so difficult to shop for that per-
difference for the 230-odd well-wishers who
fect dress anymore.
receive his message.
“There aren’t many stores
“Every year I print 300 cards, of which I send
here that offer good casuals for
around 230, and with the remaining I surprise
partying and we heard from
friends during house-warming ceremonies
friends around the country that
and other functions,” he says. “It has my
a lot of other designers are
name and address… enough for people to
looking for a market in Chen-
remember me.” And, if people haven’t
nai. We asked ourselves, ‘Why
received the card, a telephone call comes in
not we bring it here!’ And so it
saying, “Sivakumar, I haven’t received the
happened,” says Deepal.
cheque this year.” ■
In early April this year, Mee
Ergo Correspondent
opened, stocked with western
wear, apparel, clothes, accesso-
ries, shoes and bags for women.
Strategically placed near two
women’s colleges, the store
does roaring business as the
college crowd keeps flocking in
every other day.
“We get our stuff from all
over the country and around it.
It requires us to travel a lot but
in a way that’s fun, too. Shivani
and I take turns travelling every
month looking for trendy stuff
to pick up. We also outsource
some designs.”
Deepal (21) and sister-in-law
Shivani (26) regularly update
themselves with the latest
trends and sometimes take cus-
tom orders from customers and
get it designed from them. But
they keep mum when asked
where they get their regular
clothes from.
“Mee’s USP are its clothes be-
cause you don’t get them
anywhere else in the city. It
wouldn’t be so much fun if we
told you where we get them
from,” she smiles. ■
 Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Pirates at Ball Room

The Accord Metropolitan is hosting a ‘Pirates Theme Party’ at
the Crystal Ball Room with European Rubies dancer
Sunniva Verheij and DJ Ricky. OPM and Zodiac will have some
of the best DJs making you shake a leg to Bollywood numbers,
Hip Hop and House music. For details call 2816 1000.
03
Correction
In our article “New world order” dated December
29, 2008 we had wrongly referred to Darrel Harper
as the second umpire for the Sydney Test match
between India and Australia. The two umpires for
the game were Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson.

My 2009, My Resolutions
Running on the treadmill everyday, being on time for work, quitting smoking… these are some of the
most popular New Year resolutions which we said we don’t want to hear one more time. And some
of our creative readers did pen something different.
Away from the
maddening crowd
Every day I am bombarded with a
million things. Timelines to keep,
shrieking phones, sneaky friends, traffic
jams, bad air, lack of sleep, unread
books... I feel stuck to this reality of me-
chanical life.
My New Year resolution is to break
free from all the responsibilities for a
week.
A week shut from the world with ac-
cess only to home delivery. No clock to
tick-tock through the free reign of my
thoughts and no cell phone to dictate
terms. The television stays. And every
other hour, I’ll order something.
Pizza packed with chicken and pep-
peroni, extra cheesy. Hyderbadi dum
biryani gheefull.
Chocolate cake, sinful and mean.
Everything I was warned against eating
by calorie counters.
I’ll paint, I’ll dream, I’ll sleep and
maybe read the contours of my face all
through the days,
with some books and 350 channels
for company.
So if I am off for a week, and not
reachable through any medium of com-
munication, don’t fret, I’ll come back to
you, fattened and ready to run the rat
race.
Namitha Jayanarayanan, Corporate
Communication
Say no
I have two resolutions for 2009. 1:
Don’t make any resolutions for 2009. 2:
Do not follow any resolutions made.
Nivas Nazeer, Software Engineer, HCL
Technologies Ltd.
Risky proposition
My resolution is to take risks. Reason:
Taking risks helps keep one youthful, as
well as prevent his/her life from be-
coming a yawn-inducing routine.
Archana Ramasubbu, Tata Consultancy
Services
Love story 2009
To impress my lady love LUKUMU, I
will learn my mother tongue (Malaya-
lam) and converse in Malayalam with
my in-laws. As a first step, I am buying a
tutor book ‘Learn Malayalam in 30
days’ on December 31.
Kartikayan, CitiGroup
(More New Year resolutions of our
readers can be read on www.goergo.in)
04 KALEIDOSCOPE
Sun Sign Forecasts for the year 2009
By Bhavesh N. Pattni of Ganeshaspeaks.com,
the team led by Bejan Daruwalla
Aries
Career
January to October is the time to do
hard work, with Saturn in Virgo.
However Arians, the month of June
and October are very promising for job
and related matters. This year, you can
expect to change your job, but think
twice before taking any decision, as
this is not the right year to take big
jumps. Stay where you are and try to
remain stable. Unless there is insecurity, don’t take risks.
Relationships
Love relationships can blossom during 2009, specifically
during the first quarter and in the month of September.
Avoid being impatient while you are with your beloved, else
you may create irritation for your partner. If you are looking
for new relationships, Ganesha promises you an interesting
encounter – but please ensure that you remain stable
thereafter.
Taurus
Career
Ganesha finds you complaining about
one or the other aspects related to
your career till the month of July.
North Node’s transit through Aquarius
is going to keep bothering you, leading
to differences with the superiors or
uneasiness with the top management
too! However, August onwards, the
table turns in your favour. Don’t take
rash decisions till July, else you may see the days of
unemployment too, warns Ganesha.
Relationships
The year indicates resistance and stress due to the
resistance created at your end, in regard to the
relationship. You will become more security oriented this
year, but the fear of insecurity needs to be kept aside for a
while – or at least during the months of June and
November to enjoy the relationship. Rest of the months
indicate stable relationship, with some amount of
dissatisfaction occasionally felt at your end. New
relationships may begin but could be short-lived.
Gemini
Career
The year is slightly positive for career and
related matters, but you may often face a
dilemma at the moment of decision
making. This may elude you from
opportunities, out of which actually you
should be making the best! Try to be alert
and don’t let anything go in vain.
Moreover, maintain good interpersonal
relations at the office and avoid criticising,
advises Ganesha.
Relationships
If someone starts pulling your heart-strings, you may surely
start singing, despite you being in a stable relationship. This is
what is going to happen this year. There may be incidences
giving air to your fidelity but while you do so, due to Saturn
and North Nodes’ adverse transits, old relationships may suffer.
Be careful and proceed with caution, advises Ganesha.
ERGO Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Cancer
Career
You would want to drive your career too fast this year and
may also be willing to progress as quickly as possible.
However, planetary transits are not so supportive. So patience
needs to be cultivated. You are suggested not to react to
situations at the workplace, specifically avoid being too
emotional while dealing at work. Just keep working honestly,
as usual. The third quarter indicates opportunities for the
change, but a practical angle to the matter is very much
required, as per Ganesha’s view.
Relationships
This is the year to understand the real meaning of sacrifice and adjustment on
the relationship front. You will try to nurture relationships in the best possible
way, but may also feel that you are the only one who has to adjust and sacrifice
every time! Well, the angle needs to be changed this year and if you will keep
the calculations aside, you will be happier. New relationships may not come your
way, as you may require a little more time to get deeply involved in the existing
relationships this year.
Leo
Career
Good news, 2009 is a progressive year for you dear Leos!
Promotion, perks and satisfactory position at the workplace
are waiting for you but beware of ego clashes as you
progress, otherwise you may create disliking around! In this
year, you might wish to progress faster but beware, there
may be tough competition for the position you are heading
towards. Ganesha suggests you to avoid changing the job
in the first and third quarters. However, the second and
fourth quarters are fine for a job change.
Relationships
Your focus could be much on career progress, the materialistic world, and
domestic comforts, so love relationship could become secondary for a while.
However, you always love to be loved and in the second quarter, you may also
come across someone very interesting. However, if you are already in a
relationship, this year you are likely to feel a bit stressed up about it,
specifically in the second half of the year.
Virgo
Career
During 2009, you may play a vital role in the organization
that you may be working for, but career progress may
seem slower. This is also the year in which you may feel
that you should have actually been earning more out of
the current occupation. However, Ganesha assures that if
you remain patient, you will be able to earn a little more
out of the same occupation as the year progresses,
specifically in the second half of the year.
Relationships
If you are not in a relationship, there are very few probabilities of coming
across someone very interesting and matching your dreams this year, at least.
However, if you are already in a relationship, this year you may come closer
physically, specifically during the first half of the year. This is the year to also
cultivate better understanding in conjugal life. Keeping the set-rules aside, you
have all the scopes of getting carried away by emotions.
 Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Libra
Career
Lucky year for fiscal gains through your career, but
hardships or hard work may also be there. You might
have to keep putting in more and more effort at the
work front. You may also receive due appreciation,
but you may still feel bit dissatisfied with the position
and power that you possess. This is the right time to
go for further studies in order to build your career. If
you wish to move out of the current job, please think
twice as nothing so worthwhile would come across
your way at least till first three quarters of the year.
Relationships
You would be at much ease with your beloved or life partner in this year.
New dimensions at the love front will lead the relationship to next level of
understanding and your love for your beloved or spouse may become more
intense. This year you are likely to enjoy a passionate time together.
Ganesha feels that this is the right year to think about marriage and go
ahead positively, if you are single and looking.
Scorpio
Career
The career front may be very progressive because of the
positive attitude that you are trying to maintain
towards work and related matters. However, you may
feel that you should have been progressing faster.
Despite this, Ganesha finds the year to be beneficial
enough and if you remain patient, you will also be able
to hold a better position at work. While you are in this
process, ensure that your relations with colleagues and
superiors remain cordial, as there are chances of
differences with them.
Relationships
You are likely to develop a better relationship with someone in your friend-
circle. Alternatively, someone new and more interesting may also enter you
life. If married, well and good, you have all the chances of planning for a
baby! If unmarried or in a live-in relationship, you may enjoy good private
and passionate time together. Ganesha finds you progressing very faster in
case of love relationship this year. Most of the time of the year indicates
satisfactory state of relationships
Sagittarius
Career
Stability is the only factor that you might be thinking
this year as hardships may be increasing on the work
front. Rather than being worried about the progress,
you may start feeling a bit insecure about your position,
although that may not be the case. Ganesha suggests
you not to fear job insecurity but just keep putting in
hard work. You may not get significant fiscal benefits
out of the vocation that you may be into, but you will
at least be able to have some financial growth this year.
Relationships
You will want to take the relationship to a better level but you need to be
more friendly, patient and understanding while dealing with your beloved
or life partner. If you are single and looking, you will have to stop looking
this year – meaning you will come across someone with whom you would
want to remain stable but but but.... Ganesha wants to indicate something
very specific here – in the case of relationships, loyalty matters a lot!
05
Capricorn
Career
During this year, you will be a bit concerned
about financial progress from the ongoing
vocation. You may suddenly feel that things
that you did with slight effort, now require
more efforts. You may also become very
impatient for gains. Ganesha suggests you
not to ’push’ matters and let things happen
at their own pace – at least by practising
patience, you will be able to remain stress
free. Progress may be there but along with this, you may also
find that the burden at the workplace is increasing. In fact, if you
are able to handle increased demand of your talent or work in
the committed time, you will win the game.
Relationships
This year, you will want more comfort at the relationship front
and in order to have it, you may add more comforts at home and
make the environment better. If single, you may start liking
someone. If already in a relationship, this year you may wish to
settle down. If in a live-in relationship or married, the year
indicates lots of good times with your beloved and there will be
a constant stream of love flowing.
Aquarius
Career
It is a progressive year at the career
front as per Ganesha’s view. However,
don’t get stuck where you are and
keep looking out for better
opportunities, as this is the right year
to take leaps. This year you will receive
lots of acknowledgements and
appreciations for your job
responsibilities. Financial benefit is also
indicated but you are strongly advised not to accept more
work than you can actually handle, else you may feel
burdened. Due to overload or stress, you will also not be
able to justify your work truly. Besides this, no problems
are envisaged on the career front.
Relationships
The time demands modifications and positive changes in
the ongoing relationships. If you are single, this year you
may start communicating with someone interesting. You
may wish to travel with your beloved or life partner to
enjoy togetherness. Progressive year for lovers, but you are
suggested to think twice before taking decision with
regards to marriage.
Pisces
Career
It’s a gainful year financially so obviously
work would be good enough. However, you
may be taken for granted by others at the
work place and may also feel that you are
asked to slog much for insignificant jobs.
You are suggested not to get into critical
analysis of what others do nor try to be
judgemental about your superiors’ decisions. A better job option
may also come across.
Relationships
Ongoing relationships will require a little careful handling during
the second quarter but otherwise the year is fine and progressive.
It’s the right time to start a family or get engaged. If you are
single, Ganesha suggests you to positively look out for friendship,
you will surely have someone to fall for! This is also the right time
to plan the baby in order to expand the family!
06 VILLAGE ERGO Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Secret Detroit Santas

Two Secret Santas gave away $11,000
(GBP7,500) to unsuspecting Detroit area
residents before Christmas to add some
happiness to their holidays.

Top ten weirdest things found in Brit school teaching kids how to
UK pets’ stomachs blow their noses!
Kitchen knife, wig, and an underwear-these are some of Pupils at Broad Oak
the things that have made a list of the top ten weirdest Primary School in
items removed from the stomachs of UK pets. The list Manchester are being
made by an animal charity’s vets has on its top a 10in taught how to blow
tent peg, which made it to a pet’s abdomen. The their noses! The five-
weirdest items removed from the stomachs of pets are: to 11-year-old kids are
10in tent peg, Christmas decoration, Kitchen knife, being shown a DVD
Fridge magnets, Man’s wig, Ann Summers underwear\, that tells them the
Bell, Fishing hook, Socks, Rubber duck right and wrong ways
ANI to act when they have
a cold. Sheila
Marchant, headmistress
at the primary school,
Taiwan woman sues neighbour for said she believed the
school was being
calling her ‘auntie’ responsible in trying to
A 35-year-old Taiwan woman is suing her neighbour for reduce the spread of
insulting her after he called her ‘Auntie,’ a newspaper said colds. “It is in the curriculum to teach children safe
on Tuesday. The woman, identified only by her surname hygiene from an early age. And at this time of year, there
Chen, is married and lives in Kaohsiung city, southern are many cold and flu bugs around,” the Telegraph
Taiwan. She often quarrels with neighbours, the Liberty quoted her, as saying. However, one parent criticized the
Times reported. Her neighbour Wang, 30, parked his car exercise as ‘a complete waste of time’. “I send my kids to
near Chen’s door, which prompted her to accuse him of school to learn, not for someone to show them how to
taking advantage of her, the report said. Wang apologised, blow their nose,” the parent said.
and said he was parking ANI
there for a short time
and would move the car
soon, but Chen
continued to complain.
Wang, who was in hurry Bank robber left pay slip
to leave, said: “Auntie,
let’s not quarrel over bearing name, address, behind
these trivial matters. It is A man allegedly looted a Chicago bank, using his
not worth it.” Chen said own pay slip, bearing his name and address, to
she felt aggrieved and write a threatening note. Thomas Infante of Cary,
sued Wang for “public Illinois, had passed a note to a teller in Fifth Third
insult.” “I had a good Bank that read “Be Quick. Give your cash or I’ll
education, have a good shoot,” according to an FBI affidavit. The 40-year-
job, earn a good salary, old, after being handed around 400 dollars, had
dress elegantly and have left behind the note penned on a torn pay slip,
good manners. reports the Age.
DPA ANI

New Year on hold: leap second makes time stand still

E
ager to see the back end of
2008? Be forewarned: the
world’s official timekeeper
has decided to prolong the
year – by one full second, to be
precise.
Which means a Champagne-
soaked countdown to 2009 so-
mething like this: “...three, two,
one-and-a-half, one, Happy New
Year!” The extra second was man-
dated by the International Earth
Rotation and Reference Systems
Service (IERS) in Paris, and is not
to be taken lightly.
Satellites that orbit at speeds
calculated in kilometres (miles)
per second, the Internet, global
positioning systems – all depend
on knowing exactly what time it
is.
IERS head Daniel Gambis an-
nounced the time-stretching
measure in July in a letter ad-
dressed to “authorities responsi-
ble for the measurement and
distribution of time”.
That would be the white-robed
guardians of the 200-odd ultra-
accurate atomic clocks scattered
in national time temples around
the globe. “The last adjustment
dates to 2005, and the next could
happen in 2012 or 2013,” Gambis
told AFP. Leap days occur once
every four years because it takes
365 days plus six hours for our
planet to complete an orbit
around the Sun. But leap seconds
are added strictly on a case-by-
case basis, depending on need.
This year’s will be the 24th bonus
second since the practice was ini-
tiated in 1972. The sleight-of-
clock is necessary to reconcile
two different time scales.
One is established by the atom-
ic time pieces, which are accurate
to billionth of a second per day.
The other is based on Earth’s
imperfect rotation on its own ax-
is. The two get out of sync be-
cause the planet’s spin is affected
by a host of slightly fluctuating
variables, including solar and lu-
nar gravity, the movement of the
tides, solar wind, space dust and
magnetic storms.
Even global warming has got-
ten into the act because melting
ice caps have an impact too.
And so, at exactly 23:59:59
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) –
or Coordinated Universal Time
(UTC), to the scientifically literate
– on December 31, the world’s
clocks will add a beat to their
metronomic tick tick tock. ■
AFP
 Wednesday, December 31, 2008
This day, that year
It was on December 31, 1970 that former-
Beatle member Paul McCartney began legal
actions in London to sever all ties with the
other members of the rock group.
Got a hangover?
Having grape juice with sugar and salt has proved effective in many cases.
Britain’s most popular baby
names of 2008 revealed
‘O livia’ for a girl and ‘Jack’ for a
boy have emerged as Bri-
tain’s most popular baby names
of 2008 in a new survey by the
Bounty parenting club. Accord-
ing to researchers who analysed
the trends in this year’s baby
names, there has been a return to
silver screen glamour as names
inspired by Hollywood, such as
Sofia, Julia, Darcy and Amelie,
have all shown a revival, reports
Times Online.
Meanwhile, the name Amy fell
in popularity, possibly due to the
declining personal fortunes of the
singer Amy Winehouse, who has
battled drug and health prob-
lems.
However, Blake, the first name
of Winehouse’s husband Blake
Fielder-Civil, has entered the top
100 boys’ names for the first time.
Top 10 boys’ and girls’ names:
1. Jack, Olivia, 2. Oliver, Ruby,
3. Harry, Grace, 4. Charlie, Emily,
07
Plane English lessons
An English primary school is planning to give pupils geography
lessons in a 40-seat private jet. The children’s teachers plan to
install the GBP35,000 static aircraft in a playing field and use
Google Earth images to give them a sensation of flying.
Read our simple tips that could keep
your New Year spirit alive
T
he New Year’s Eve party mood has already set
in. And if your idea of saying adieu to 2008 is
by indulging in a few pegs, we are not going to
play the party popper, this time of the year at
least. But some of you might have to get back to
work the next day, and overindulgence could mean
a bad headache, dizziness or even tie you to the
bed.
Not something you would like to start New Year’s
morning. Yes? Ergo spoke to a few doctors, who
have suggested some simple remedies that could
help you overcome a hangover.
Fresh as water: That’s one golden rule everyone
will tell you. Drink plenty of water, preferably water
stored in clay pots.
Milky way: When was the last time you drank
milk? Let it remain a top secret, but drinking milk
after a hangover is said to absorb all the alcohol
content in the body.
Juice it up: Lime, pomegranate, sugarcane juice,
or coconut water – each of them is said to have its
own nutritive value in soothing the system.
Make it at home: According to ayurveda, rice
mixed with ghee is a good bet as it lubricates the
body. Wheat-based food like chapatti and herbal
rice can also be tried.
Massage it: A good oil massage after a night of
drinking regulates blood circulation. Taking an oil
bath in gingely oil should be a good cure.
Dates and grapes: Having dates and grape juice
or water mixed with sugar and salt has proved ef-
fective in many cases.
The remedies might sound simple but it also de-
pends on how much you have consumed. Some-
times drinking a little of the night’s leftover the next
day could just work wonders, say some regulars. ■
AFP PHOTO Ergo Correspondent
My masterpiece
5. Alfie, Jessica, 6. Thomas, Soph-
ie, 7. Joshua, Chloe, 8. Daniel, Li-
쒀 Five-year-old sea lion ’Jackie’ writes the word ’Ox’ in Chinese character as part of
ly, 9. James, Mia, 10. William,
a preparation to welcome New Year of the Ox at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise
Lucy ■
aquarium in Yokohama suburban Tokyo on Tuesday. AFP PHOTO
ANI
 Product: ERGO_Imposition PubDate: 31-12-2008 Zone: Chennai Edition: CITY Page: A-08.K User: cci Time: 12-30-2008 19:15 Color: C
K Section: A
Y
M

GRAPHIC: R. PRATHAP
08 SPORT
09 ERGO Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
10 FLICK
‘I can’t bring myself to become
the master of sound bytes’
Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali says he always wanted to work with Hrithik Roshan and he’s doing exactly that
in his new venture that also stars his favourite actress – Aishwarya Rai. Excerpts from the interview:
SUBHASH K. JHA
Y
ou seem to have quietly
signed a Pakistani actor
called Imran Abbas for
Heera Mandi.
So quietly that even I don’t know
about it. I haven’t signed anyone
called Imran Abbas. I’m not making
Heera Mandi right now. It may hap-
pen much later.
I’m now directing another film
with Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya
Rai. I’m very excited about the film,
and so are they.
You continue to be fearless in
spite of Saawariya.
This is the time when filmmakers
need to be fearless and experiment
with themes. Fearlessness is my big-
gest asset as a filmmaker. I will con-
tinue to make films that come from
deep within me. My very first film,
Khamoshi: The Musical didn’t do well
at all. A lot of people think it’s my
best work.
Are you as proud of
Saawariya as the rest
of your films?
Of course. Hum Dil De
Chuke Sanam or Devdas
can be made again, but
Saawariya cannot. It’s
my rarest work in terms
of treatment. It had beau-
tiful performances and vi-
suals. I tried to put a stage
play on film. Of course, at
the end of the day the au-
dience decides what it likes.
So have you met Pakistani actor
Imran?
Moin Beg, who has written Heera
Mandi, wanted me to meet Imran. So
I met him almost a year ago, but I
immediately realised he wasn’t the
actor I was looking for. Just because I
don’t speak out, people take advan-
tage of my silence.
Why don’t you clarify the
misconceptions when they occur?
I can’t bring myself to become the
master of sound bytes. But beyond a
point silence is construed as a sign of
acceptance. I don’t even meet new
actors, musicians or lyricists. I’ve al-
ready decided whom to work with in
my next project. And why go to Pa-
kistan to get actors? We’ve very tal-
ented people in our own country.
There were reports that some
actors, including Ranbir Kapoor,
didn’t want to work with you.
People are writing tragic tales
about me every day. They are even
deciding what film I’m making and
also casting actresses in them...
Maybe stories about me sell. But
when the misrepresentations go be-
yond my tolerance, it’s time to speak
up. The truth is Ranbir and Sonam
would be there for me whenever I
need them. However, at the moment
I’m making a film with Hrithik and
Aishwarya.
What prompted you to sign
Hrithik?
Hrithik and I wanted to work to-
gether for a very long time. I’ve al-
ways been impressed by his sincerity
as an actor. I was waiting for the
right opportunity to sign him. Work-
ing with Hrithik would be a new and
rewarding experience.
You and Aishwarya created magic
in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and
Devdas. Time for a hat-trick?
Aishwarya is very special to me.
She suits the role in my new film to
perfection. When she read the script
she was deeply moved. Of course,
the true friend that she is, she told
ERGO Wednesday, December 31, 2008
My wife
Hollywood star Tom Cruise feels
‘‘lucky’’ to have Katie Holmes as his
wife and says she brings out his
romantic side.
me she would’ve agreed to work
with me even if I didn’t send her the
script.
Will this Hrithik-Aishwarya film
be your first for an international
market in English?
But Black was also in English. The
spoken language in our country is as
much Hindi as English. I want to cap-
ture that feeling of everyday
conversations.
2008 was a great year for you. It
was the year when an Indian
director was invited for the first
time to direct an opera in Paris.
Yes, I had a wonderful time. I loved
directing the opera. It was an excep-
tional honour and an unforgettable
experience. I managed to write the
script that I wanted to and got the
cast I wanted. It’s been a year of hard
and fruitful work. And 2009 will
mean even harder work. ■
IANS
 Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Hits
The year 2008 didn’t bode too well for Tamil cinema, there being around 20 flops totally. However, there were
many surprise elements too, like Anjathey, Subramaniapuram and Poo. While Kamal Hassan’s
Dasavatharam was the major hit of the year, Rajinikanth’s Kuselan, Vishal’s Satyam and Vikram’s Bheema
were disappointments. Here’s a look at the major hits and flops of the year:
V. HARIPRIYA
haripriya@goergo.in
HITS
Subramaniapuram
Directed by debutant Sasi Ku-
mar, Subramaniapuram dealt
with the exploitation of unem-
ployed youth by politicians. Star-
ring Jai, Sasi Kumar, Swathi and
Kanja Karuppu, the movie re-
volved around love, friendship
and betrayal of both. Subrama-
niapuram also marked the entry
of TV personality James Vasan-
than into music direction in tin-
sel town. The song ‘Kangal
irandaal’ from the movie became
one of the most popular caller
tunes.
Dasavatharam
The magnum opus of actor Ka-
mal Hassan, Dasavatharam, saw
him donning 10 different roles.
Directed by K.S. Ravikumar, the
story revolved around a research
scientist who loses a biological
weapon of mass destruction in
USA and how he reaches India in
search of the vial. The cast in-
cluded Asin and Mallika Shera-
&runs
wat. The music of the film was
composed by Himesh Resham-
miya, while Devi Sri Prasad com-
posed the background score.
Yaaradi Nee Mohini
A remake of the superhit Telu-
gu film Aadavari Matalaku Ard-
halu Verule, Yaaradi Nee Mohini
had Dhanush and Nayanthara
playing the lead roles. Directed
by A. Jawahar, the movie revolved
around the life of a middle-class
boy who falls in love with his
friend’s fiancée. The music for
the film was scored by Yuvan
Shankar Raja. Dubbed a family
entertainer, the movie made with
a shoestring budget of Rs. 4 crore
reportedly earned a total revenue
of Rs. 35 crore.
Santhosh Subramaniam
A romantic film directed and
co-written by Raja, Santhosh
Subramaniapuram was a remake
of Telugu film Bommarillu.
Jayam Ravi and Genelia played
the lead roles, while Prakash Raj
and Geetha had prominent roles,
too. The film revolved around the
father-son relationship. It had six
songs composed by Devi Sri Pra-
sad with the lyrics penned by Na.
Muthukumar and Yugabharathi.
11
Trisha heads to
Australia
Trisha is all set to celebrate her New
new Year with friends and relatives
in Australia.
FLOPS
Saroja
The directorial venture of Ven-
kat Prabhu after the mega hit Kuselan
Chennai 600028, Saroja had a big Inspired by the Malayalam film Kadha Parayumbol,
opening and was liked by many. the film was directed
by P. Vasu and pro-
duced by K. Balachan-
dar. Pasupathy and
Meena played the lead
roles, while Rajini-
kanth did a cameo.
Despite the pre-re-
lease hype, the film
ended up evoking
negative reviews,
mainly because it was
termed a Rajinikanth-starrer although his was just a
guest appearance. Kuselan is one of the biggest flops of
the year.
Starring Jayaram, Prakash Raj,
Shiva, Charan, Premji Amaran, Sathyam
Vega and Vaibhav, the story re- Directed by debutante
volved around the adventures of A. Rajasekar, the movie
four carefree friends who are starring Vishal and
forced into a life-threatening sit- Nayanthara didn’t go
uation. The soundtrack was taken down too well with the
care of by Yuvan Shankar Raja. audience. The movie had
Vishal playing the role of a
Anjathey cop for the first time.
Upendra played a promi-
nent role. The music was composed by Harris Jeyaraj.
Bheema
Starring Vikram and Trisha in lead roles, Bheema, the
directorial venture of N. Linguswamy, was a box-office
dud. The story was
about a tug-of-war be-
tween two under-
world gangs trying to
outsmart each other.
The movie took al-
most two years to hit
the screens. The film’s
score and soundtrack
composed by Harris
One of the best movies of the Jayaraj had quite a few good numbers though.
year, Anjathey was directed by
Mysskin. The cast of the movie Indralogathil Na Azhagappan
included Narain, Prasanna and The success of Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikesi did not
Ajmal. Though made with a mini- help comedian Vadivelu in Indralogathil Na Azhagap-
mum budget, the movie made pan. A period comedy di-
many take notice. The song ‘Kat- rected by Thambi Ramiah,
tazha kannala’ topped the charts the movie was too preachy
for many months. A gangster mo- and consequently dumped
vie, the story basically dealt with by the audience.
friendship. The movie was well- Other eagerly-awaited
received by both the class and films that failed to live up to
mass. expectations were Ajith-
Kuruvi. ■ starrer Aegan and Vijay’s
12 ERGO Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Tuesday’s Query:
What is the one thing
you don’t want to do
in the coming year?
■ I never want to be lazy.
Sandy, HCL

■ I don’t want to love any girls from

the coming year because I wasted my
so much money and time on them as
such.
Arun, Sify,
Dhayal, Perot Systems

■ Never to trust anyone.

Satish, Vijayalakshmi Gnanasekar from Infosys Technologies has nominated her gang as Partners in Crime.
Ramco Systems The pic was clicked at Dolphin Nose in Kodaikanal.

■ Stop worrying for silly things and

to be happy.
Sundar Narayan,
Polaris

■ Postponing the work to the next

day.
Mahesh Rajamani,
Perot Systems

■ Simply wasting the time, No one

can buy it back.
Mohanraj, TCS

■ Not to torture myself and my

family by taking them to watch a
Simbu movie.
Senthil Kumar P,
RR Donnelley

■ T.V Serial Parpathu. Kalpana Ganesan from HCL has nominated her team mates as Partners in Crime. This pic was
B.Murali, L.S Ameen, K.Murali, Radhika, clicked at Kodaikanal.
Babitha, PMC

■ I don’t want to drain my bank

balance.
Meenakshi Mohan, TCS

■ Gain weight.
Shruthi Rao, TCS

■ Not to take one more resolution

only to break it as usual.
Arun Rajan, TCS,
Hariprasad T, Sundarapandian, Wipro

■ Going to office.
Shobhan, TCS

Today’s Query:
What gift would you
like to receive from
your loved one for New Anandan.T.G from eNoah iSolutions has nominated his team as Partners in Crime. This pic was
clicked at the “Decorative December- Village people” function held at their office.
Year and why?
 Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Senthil of Wipro has been
nominated as Office Angel
by Wanrawee and his team.
He is a very nice person.
He’s got a great sense of
humour. He makes our team
happy and we love him very
much
Anisha Shaifu of
Wipro doodled this.
Nama adicha athu mottai, Athuva vilundha athu sottai!
’Dye’ ! na mandayila podurathu, ’Die’ na mandaya podurathu
Lover’s day annaiki lover a kiss pannalam.. Ana Teacher’s day
annaiki teacher a kiss panna mudiyuma?
Karthikeyan.I , TCS
■ Hi Krishna,
This year may your birthday be full of
fun, luck, wishes, love and may all
your dreams come true.
If you ever need anything, anytime
day or night I promise i will be there
to try and make it right, coz a true
friend is what you forever will always
be. Happy birthday.
Cheers,
Naresh
■ Hi KK,
Many more happy returns of the day.
Never let the future disturb you.
You will meet it, if you have to, with
the same weapons of reason which
today arm you against the present.
Best Wishes from Entire OfficeDepot team
Wipro - CDC5
■ Hi Padmini Vasudevan,
Days pass away leaving beautiful
memories, Words remain in the form
of stories,But Beautiful relationships
always remain in the heart like a
heartbeat. BELATED HAPPY
BIRTHDAY
Hearty wishes from,
Friends & Family Members
■ Dear Soni
many more happy returns of the day.
By
MAS Team MasterCard., Wipro
■ Hai Rajee,
" Wish u happy new year "
Best wishes
Prema , Nathiya & Shylu
■ Dear Srini,Tina,Ramesh,
Bala,Prasanna,Venkat,Arun,Durga
Square,Lakshmi,Anandavalli,Sri,Divya,
Binod,Seshu,Vinoth
I wish you all very very happy and
prosperous New Year -2009
With love,
Manonmani Kesav,
HCL Technologies
■ Hi Neeraja,
Wish you Many More Happy Returns
Of The Day. Enjoy this birthday in the
way you wish...
Hearty wishes from ,
NLEC INVOIVING TEAM
■ Dear Satish Mallampalli,
WISH YOU A HAPPY BIRTHDAY......
With Luv,
DBS Team, Polaris.
■ Dear Polarities,
WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY &
PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR....
Cheers, M P Ganesan
■ Hi Mani,
The innocence of this day brings back
all the fond memories of childhood
and laughter’s of gatherings on this
day. The day is special and so are
you. MANY MANY MORE HAPPY
13
RETURNS OF THE DAY.
With Love & Regards
FTP GT 2007, Hexaware Technologies
■ Hi Wiproites,
Engal iniya Wipro Makkale, Ungal
paasathukuriya 3B-Bus Back Seat
Guys Sangathinarin iniya puthandu
nalvazthukkal. Wish you a Happy and
Prosperous New Year 2009.
With Warm Wishes from
3B "BACK SEAT BOYS"
Wipro Technologies
■ Dear Ibrahim Bhai....
A Very-Very-Very HAPPY BIRTHDAY
to you. May God bless you!!!
With love n best wishes,
Vivek, Varun n CuDM
■ Hi Davis,
You are the best! You are my
happiness. A Relaxed Mind, A
Peaceful Soul, A Joyful Spirit, A
Healthy Body & Heart full of Love.
All these are my Prayers for
You..Wish a Happy New Year
Love,
Anitha
■ Dear 5minutes,
When We call u for.
Tea-Break ,u say" 5 mins", Lunch-
Break, u say "5 mins", Treat, u will
start immediately. B’day wishes in
advance...
From
M-24 Team, FSS
■ Dear Friends,
Wish you a happy NEW YEAR.
By THALA & DADA groups
■ Hi Lipenza,
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009.
Lukeson,
Wipro
■ Dear Sarasa
Wishing you many more happy
returns of the day. May all your
dreams come true in your life.
Wishes from KLMNR
■ Hi Soni
Hey! It’s your Birthday & I’ve pecked
up a little message, just for ya!
Wishing u a day packed with loads of
gifts. Sunny smiles and lots of love
Hope u have a very happy birthday
By MAS TeamMasterCard
Wipro Ltd
■ Dear Harini,
Happy birthday, and have a great
year! Enjoy your life and the dance
of life. Keep on shining like the sun,
Spread the pleasure like moon light.
Happy birthday & many more to
come.
Love N Wishes,
Sales Tool Team
HCL Technologies Friends
14 TRAFFIC JAM ERGO Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Man blown into a tree

A Chinese man fixing his roof had to
be rescued by firefighters after he was
reportedly blown onto a nearby tree by
a strong gust of wind.

sudoku

Joseph S from
Perot Systems
clicked this
photograph at a
village in
Pudukottai district.
He says the
picture is an image
of joy and
happiness children
share.
Hobbies:
Photography,
listening to music

KAKURO
So you think you would make a terrific photographer but never really had the
platform? Mail us your best work and we’ll publish it in this space, with credit.
E-mail: clickpick@goergo.in

TEAM
Editor: Karthik Subramanian
karthik@goergo.in

Sr Dy Chief Designer: J.A. Prem Kumar

Dy Chief Designer: R. Ravi Kannan
Illustrator: R. Venugopal

Technical Support:
V.R. Vasudevan, K.G. Gurumurthy
N. Ravichandran, E. Baskar

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Contact: 2857 5757
E-mail: ads@goergo.in
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copies@goergo.in

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KASTURI & SONS LTD., at Plot B-6 & B-7,
CMDA Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar,
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Anna Salai, Chennai-600002. Editor: S. Karthik
(Editor responsible for selection of news under
the PRB Act). RNI No. TNENG/2007/24553
 Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Merry Christmas
A Florida woman is claiming that a
vacation rental company fired her
because she said Merry Christmas
instead of Happy Holidays when she
greeted callers.
15
Word’s worth
"Carphology" (kar-fah-luh-jee) the movements of
delirious patients, especially pulling at sheets or
blankets, or movements that seem to suggest a
search for imaginary objects. This word comes from
a Greek word meaning ‘collecting straw.’

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

Miscommunication might happen today. Be extra
careful with words. Nevertheless, being
straightforward might not help as well. The best
way is to learn diplomacy. You may share incidents
about your professional life to your beloved.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

You may review all your pending work today. If you
work with added efforts, all the pending work will
get done by the end of the day. However, Ganesha
wants you to work with strong determination. Less
attention to love life may result into discontentment.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

Targets and deadlines will be very strict today. You
BORN LOSER may have to focus a lot. However, you will be able
to complete everything on time, assures Ganesha. In
the evening, you may feel mystical and may discuss
things like occult with your beloved.
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
At work, you will feel highly satisfied today.
Ganesha feels that work will be appreciated by your
superiors. On the relationship front, you will be able
to take practical decision which will impress your
beloved to no end.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
You may feel as if fate is against you today.
However, focusing on the right targets will help you
regain your confidence. Once you gain your
confidence back, nothing will be able to stop you.
You will spend wonderful time with your partner.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
You may feel over burdened in the morning.
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT Criticism for own work or others will be fortunately
not seen today. Ganesha feels you will be only
focussing on your targets. Love life may strike a
better understanding between lovers.
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
Ganesha applauds your hard work and notes that
you will earn great respect from your colleagues.
This impact will be beneficial in the long run.
Couples might face a rough time in the relationship.
The easiest way to sort this out is compromise.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
There will be a heavy stress, both mentally and
emotionally. Due to this, you may lose your temper
over petty issues. Ganesha advises you to keep your
cool. On the love front, life will smooth and you are
very closely attached to your beloved.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
You might face competition at work today. Ganesha
wants you to be alert or you might land up in huge
mess. Alertness and carefulness will have to be
practised in your personal life as well as Ganesha
finds scopes for conflicts with your beloved.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
Ganesha finds you a bit confused at decision
making. Although work seems demanding, it is a
good day for analysis. On the personal front, your
beloved might respond positively as you may win
his/her heart with your charming looks.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS Other than your routine work, you might want to
make some changes in the office atmosphere. All
ISSUE’S said and done, but don’t ignore your prime
responsibilities. Love is smooth in general, except
SOLUTIONS for a few emotional moments with your beloved.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
You might be inspired by someone today. This may
motivate you to improve your basic skills. Ganesha
finds your communication skills to be at their best.
Even on the love front, you will find your
sweetheart to be very considerate and kind.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
16 ! ERGO Wednesday, December 31, 2008

One look is all it takes

News and newsmakers in pictures

Quote of the day

Tomoko Mtasuda, an
animal trainer dressed
in a traditional kimono,
rides belugas as she
trains for a New Year
event, at the Hakkijima
Sea Paradise aquarium
in Yokohama in

‘‘
Kanagawa prefecture,
suburban Tokyo on For Christmas, San-
Tuesday. AFP PHOTO
dip or Sandy as
Britney calls him presented
her with a traditional Indian
sari. She wore it during a
candlelit dinner”
British newspaper says Bollywood dance
instructor Sandip Soparrkar is reportedly the
Members of
current love interest of pop singer Britney
Nepal’s
Spears
indigenous
Gurung
community
adjust their
traditional dress
as they prepare
to take part in a
ceremony in
Kathmandu on
Tuesday held to
celebrate their
New Year or
Lhosar. AFP PHOTO

Turkeys for sale at the wholesale market in Pudupet. According to shop owners sale of
turkeys have taken a dip during the festive season due to the economic crisis. Whereas
shops at Pudupet had sold around 2,000 birds last year, numbers have drastically fallen
down to around 750 this year. PHOTO : R. RAVINDRAN