d c—39 c today puzzles lifestyle oroscope silent rage

DOHA 31°C—39°C TODAY PUZZLES 14 & 15D LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE 16LP

Sha’baan 8, 1437 AHSunday, May 15, 2016

CommunityAt the La Veranda restaurant,

you can have your slice of quintessential Italian alfresco dining ambience by the sea.

CommunityThe 2nd Palestinian Heritage Festival showcased

some fascinating products, highlighting why Palestinian art is still an inspiration for many.

P7 P20

Masakatsu Sashie brings

home a world filled with

futuristic warnings at

Anima Gallery with a

poignant flourish. P4-5

COVER

STORY

Silent rage

Community EditorKamran Rehmat

e-mail: [email protected]: 44466405

Fax: 44350474

Emergency 999Worldwide Emergency Number 112Kahramaa – Electricity and Water 991Ooredoo Telephone Assistance 111Local Directory 180International Calls Enquires 150Time 141, 140Doha International Airport 40106666Labor Department 44508111, 44406537Medical Commission 44679111Mowasalat Taxi 44588888Qatar Airways 44496000Weather Forecast 44656590Hamad Medical Corporation 44392222 44393333Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation 44845555 44845464 Primary Health Care Corporation 44593333 44593363 Qatar Assistive Technology Centre 44594050Qatar News Agency 44450205 44450333Q-Post – General Postal Corporation 44464444Qatar University 44033333

USEFUL NUMBERS

Quote Unquote

PRAYER TIME

Fajr 3.25amShorooq (sunrise) 4.49amZuhr (noon) 11.30amAsr (afternoon) 2.58pmMaghreb (sunset) 6.13pmIsha (night) 7.43pm

When you judge another, you do

not defi ne them, you defi ne yourself.

— Wayne Dyer

Sunday, May 15, 20162 GULF TIMES

COMMUNITY ROUND & ABOUT

Azhar GENRE: DramaCAST: Nargis Fakhri, Emraan Hashmi, Prachi DesaiDIRECTION: Tony D’SouzaSYNOPSIS: The life of the former, controversial

international cricket fi gure. From being one of the most celebrated cricket captains of India to being country’s most controversial sportsman yet, Azhar, based on some real life

events of cricketer Mohamed Azharuddin chronicles the highs and lows of his life and off ers an insight into his inner world for the fi rst time. From his humble beginnings, to his meteoric rise in the world of cricket, from his marriages with Naureen and later with fi lm star Sangeeta to the accusation of match fi xing and cricket scandal, the fi lm captures it all.

THEATRES: The Mall, Royal Plaza

Mah E MirGENRE: Drama,

Romance CAST: Iman Ali, Alyy

Khan, Fahad MustafaDIRECTION: Anjum

ShahzadSYNOPSIS: Biography

of Mir Taqi Mir, a greatest poet of 18th century. The fi lm’s story focuses on the life of a modern-day poet named Jamal (Fahad Mustafa) going through a rough patch. The movie tries to draw parallels between Jamal’s and Mir Taqi Mir’s life with the story jumping from present day to Jamal’s mind as he imagines himself to be Mir Taqi Mir in Lucknow focusing on the trials and tribulations that Mir once experienced.

THEATRE: Royal Plaza

Mall Cinema (1): The Trust (2D) 11am; 24 (Tamil) 1pm; The Perfect Match (2D) 3.45pm; All Roads Lead To Rome (2D) 5.30pm; Term Life (2D) 7.15pm; The Trust (2D) 9pm; 24 (Tamil) 10.45pm.Mall Cinema (2): Angry Birds Movie (2D) 11.30am; Angry Birds Movie (2D) 1.15pm; Angry Birds Movie (2D) 3 & 4.45pm; Captain America: Civil War (2D) 6.30pm; Captain America: Civil War (2D) 9pm; Hellions (2D) 11.30pm.Mall Cinema (3): Term Life (2D) 11.15am; Azhar (Hindi) 1pm; Kangar Hoppiena (Arabic) 3.15pm; Hepta

(Arabic) 5.15pm; The Jungle Book (2D) 7.15pm; Hepta (Arabic) 9pm; Jacob’s King Of Heaven (Malayalam) 11pm.Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (1): Angry Birds Movie (2D) 11.30am, 1.30, 3.15 & 5pm; The Jungle Book (2D) 6.45pm; Captain America: Civil War (2D) 8.30 &11pm.Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (2): Azhar (Hindi) 11.15am; The Trust (2D) 2pm; The Perfect Match (2D) 3.45pm; All Roads Lead To

Rome (2D) 5.30pm; The Trust (2D) 7.15pm; Hepta (Arabic) 9pm; Azhar (Hindi) 11.15pm.Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (3): All Roads Lead To Rome (2D) 11.15am; Term Life (2D) 1pm; Mah - E - Mir (Urdu) 2.45pm; Kangar Hoppiena (Arabic) 5.30pm; Hepta (Arabic) 7.30pm; Term Life (2D) 9.45pm; Hellions (2D) 11.30pm.Asian Town Cinema: Jacobinte Swargarajyam (Malayalam) 6, 7, 8.30, 9 & 10pm; 24 (Tamil) 7, 9 & 10pm; Baaghi (Hindi) 3.15pm; Azhar (Hindi) 5.45 & 11.30pm.

3Sunday, May 15, 2016 GULF TIMES

COMMUNITY

Compiled by Nausheen Shaikh. E-mail: [email protected], Events and timings subject to change

EVENTS

Exhibition for Transport and LogisticsDATE: May 24-26TIME: 5pm-9pmVENUE: Doha Exhibition and Conference

CenterTrans4 is a major marketplace for transport

services, attracting leading professionals from Qatar, the Middle East and the world. It will address issues concerning the development of the Qatari transport system, and new information systems for interaction among diff erent modes of transport, as well as addressing the logistics issues in the global market for transportation and logistics services.

Art WorkshopDATE: May 17-19VENUE: Youth Art CentreKeen to develop youth talents and art skills,

the Youth Art Center will organise workshop this May. The workshop on manufacturing art books will be held from May 17-19. For registration, please call at: 44665650.

Interpretations Art ExhibitionDATE: May 26-June 6TIME: 10am- 9pmVENUE: Katara Art Center, Building 5The International School of London

Qatar’s Visual Arts Department inaugural exhibition will take place in the Katara Arts Center from May 26– June 6. The works of the ‘Interpretation’ exhibition represents a wide range of ages and stages of artistic development and are selected from the school’s IB Middle Years and Diploma Years Programmes students. It is through sensory exploration and interaction that students learn to explore their feelings and confi rm their understanding of the world through the senses.

Karting & Mini Moto TrackDATE: May 12- July 1TIME: 6:30pmVENUE: Losail International CircuitStarting tomorrow, the Karting and Mini

Moto Track will be open every Thursday and Friday until July 1 after which the track will close until further notice. QR100 per session of 15 minutes. Helmet mask QR15 – not refundable.

Pant 4 PAWS Inaugural TriathlonDATE: May 20TIME: 5:30pmVENUE: InterContinental DohaPant for Paws 2016, an inaugural event, will

be championed and led by Live Life Crossfi t and supported by a number of other crossfi t boxes and gyms in Doha. A beach triathlon consisting of three stages: 3hrs duration.

Shifting SandsDATE: Until July 7VENUE: Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim

Museum, AlsamariyahMA students of UCL Qatar are organising

and curating an exhibition as part of UCLQurates. In the very recent past, Qatar has undergone a signifi cant transformation; through these developments, people have had to adapt to the changing landscape in which they live.

Aspire In-Side-Out Fun RunDATE: May 20TIME: 7pmVENUE: Aspire ZoneAspire In-Side-Out Fun Run 2016 is an

exciting way to lead an active and healthy lifestyle. Join us on May 20 at 7pm at the Aspire Zone Warm Up Track. The untimed race is approximately 5km of fun, where runners make their way around both an indoor and outdoor course, giving participants an exclusive chance to discover locations and areas of Aspire Zone they would not normally see.

QSports Summer CampDATE: June 19-Sept 1TIME: 8am-1pmVENUE: Al Jazeera AcademyRegistration for QSports Summer Camp

2016 is now open. QSports summer camps are committed to providing a safe, fun and skill-based experience for kids between the ages of four and 14. We have a dedicated team of specialist kid’s coaches and classes and activities are safe, planned, progressive, active, creative, inclusive and designed to maximise participation of all children by off ering a variety of activities.

Anti-Doping in Humans and AnimalsDATE: May 31-June 1TIME: 8amVENUE: Doha Marriott HotelADLQatar’s 6th Annual Symposium:

Anti-Doping in Humans and Animals: Parallels and Divergences: As with doping in humans to enhance sporting performance, similar interventions to ensure outcome in competition are also apparent in animals (horses, dogs, camels). Practices such as administrations of steroids, inorganic substances such as cobalt, as well as, gene doping may be far more prevalent amongst competing animals.

Dance Classes with Salsa n CandelaVENUE: Hilton Hotel-West BaySalsa n Candela off ers variety of dance

classes for kids and adults at Hilton Hotel, Eforea Spa Studio, such as Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, Swing, Tango and Greek classes. Price at QR 60 per class per person.

Yamativo Salsa ClassesDATE: Every MondayTIME: 7pmVENUE: Radisson BluIt’s always fun and always challenging.

Let’s meet and learn some moves every Monday night. You don’t need to do anything, just join us. Level 1 (intermediate level) 7pm and for beginner level 8pm. Be there at Radisson Blu Hotel Cabana Club.

Spring Exhibition MIADATE: Until July 16TIME: 10:30am- 5pmVENUE: QM Gallery Al RiwaqAn exhibition of 15 contemporary Chinese

artists, curated by internationally acclaimed New York-based Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang, will be on view at the QM Gallery Al Riwaq. The exhibition will be the major highlight presented in the context of the Qatar China 2016 Year of Culture. Artworks exemplifying each and every artist’s unique artistic language and methodology will be displayed in individual galleries.

Qatari Agricultural Product YardsDATE: Until June 30VENUE: Al Mazrooa, Al Zakheera, Al

Khor, Al WakrahThe Ministry of Environment has opened the

4th season of Qatari agricultural product yards for selling locally produced fruits, vegetables, poultry, fi sh and livestock. Work in these yards will continue for seven months. The yards will operate three days a week on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 7am to 5pm, with livestock vendors in Al Mazrooa operating at the same times throughout the week.

Join in our Walk-in WeekendsDATE: Every Saturday VENUE: MIA AtriumMIA art education and calligraphy teams

off er walk-in workshops in MIA’s atrium every Saturday. These walk-in workshops are for open for all family members.

FOODIE CHOICE

RESTAURAN T: SridanLOCATION: Shangri-La Hotel Head over to Sridan during the Holy Month

of Ramadan for dinner with over 129 dishes for just QR129 per person. Shangri-La Hotel Doha, Sridan Restaurant, Level 2, Conference Centre Street, West Bay, E-mail: [email protected], Phone: 44295295.

Al GannasDATE: Until Oct 30TIME: 9am -11:30amVENUE: Al Gannas SocietyAl Gannas Association is participating in the ‘Our culture is a school’ programme by

organising many activities for the students every Monday and Wednesday of the week. These activities include explanations on hunting and related tools, kinds of falcons and preys, in addition to workshop on how to carry a falcon, set a traditional tent (made of goat & camel hair), prepare traditional Arabic coff ee, etc.

Cultural Diversity festivalDATE: Until May 31TIME: 7:30-9pmVENUE: Katara Beach Over 20 countries from all over the world are showcasing their traditions and heritage.


COMMUNITY COVER STORY

“Commercial symbols have seeped deep into our lives”

— Masakatsu Sashie, Japanese artist

MAKING A STATEMENT: Masakatsu Sashie at the exhibition in Anima Gallery.

By Anand Holla

In Masakatsu Sashie’s world, doom and danger are silent assassins. A devastated civilisation whimpers in ruins while an orb, an imaginary

world representing large, city-like spheres made out of a random stash of multi-national brands and manmade objects, remains ominously suspended over it.

The prolifi c Japanese artist’s

signature orb paintings of the “fi ctional world, fi lled with futuristic warnings about human’s tendencies for environmental dominance and over-consumption,” are as much a source for wide-eyed wonder as they are a trigger for a fl ood of questions, curiosities and concerns.

Talk to Sashie about his art and you immediately learn that the orbs were inevitable. “When I was younger, I wanted to draw the cosmos, but not just the cosmos,” Sashie tells Community,

moments after the launch of his deeply compelling solo exhibition Micro Invasion at Anima Gallery, The Pearl, “I wanted to paint everything in one frame; my home, my neighbourhood, my region and the cosmos — all of these together. That’s where the quest for the orb paintings began.”

The gently-fl oating massive orbs are created out of scraps of old constructions from the Showa-period — a period of enlightened peace and harmony, period of radiant Japan during the time

of reign of the Showa Emperor, Hirohito, from 1926 to 1989 — and pieces of mass production and mass consumption culture, says a note introducing the exhibition that opened last week and will be on until August 9. “Things like vending machines, pachinko parlours or fast food signs and video game components are woven into Masakatsu’s imagery in his orb painting,” the note points out.

Purely on aesthetics, Sashie’s paintings are exquisitely executed; the colour tones strangely soothing,

the mood blending real and surreal, the look in sync with the panels of a deftly drawn post-apocalyptic graphic novel. Conceptually, Sashie achieves new heights by simply articulating what we all have silently pondered over many a time.

“As far as I can remember, I have always had this theme in my head,” Sashie says, referring to the orbs perpetually hovering over landscapes that are essentially landfi lls full of rolling hills of glowing televisions, tyres, vending machines, vehicles, and many such

SUNDAY CONVERSATION

It’s important that

I have a clear, blank mind devoid of any dominant emotion

when I create my art


COMMUNITYCOVER STORY

factory manufactured products, “But sometimes, when I might be angry or upset about something, I refrain from painting anything. That’s because it’s important that I have a clear, blank mind devoid of any dominant emotion when I create my art, so that I am able to express my idea through not just one facet, but all facets. I can’t aff ord to be imbalanced in my expression of thoughts.”

Art critics have found Sashie’s work to have a fantasy “old Japan” look about them, in the way he manages to mix elements of Japanese architecture from the post-World War II era with fantasy or science fi ction motifs. The complete absence of human fi gures in Sashie’s work is also deliberate — he doesn’t want to give away a sense of time, space, or what direction or scale to think, on a platter to his viewer.

Over the years, Sashie has maintained what he has formulated as the fundamental theme of his work. “That theme is a ‘world’ that functions by the phenomenon seen in the balanced aquarium. It is a limited space within which the circle of life exists,” Sashie says, “The size of the world to an individual varies depending on his imagination and determination. How would one view the world if

his living space were physically limited, maybe in a container, for example, an aquarium?”

“Every life form, within its designated space, occupies a smaller territory,” Sashie continues, “Within it, egoism and indiff erence toward the environment are repeated daily. Yet, it is also full of everyday tranquility and happiness. These two factors express a world, which is somewhat unstable but retains a comfortable balance.”

But why does he keep referencing corporate giants and their ubiquitous logos in his work? “The logos and signs of the big brands are like commercial symbols that have seeped so deep into our lives that we feel like these companies make our lives or are an integral part of it,” Sashie explains, “There are good parts and bad parts about this phenomenon of brands taking over our lives and I have tried to express both.”

One would be hard-pressed to see the good when, in Sashie’s

work, multi-national companies revel in destruction and an ecosystem of exclusivity. Sashie, however, has an entirely diff erent point of view. “But you see, destruction is a characteristic of nature. I don’t view it as bad. It’s not good, but it’s not bad either — it’s natural,” Sashie says, “So if the world is destroyed, it’s the will of nature. If you don’t want to see it get destroyed, you have to do something.”

Speaking of the artifi cial world of brands and superfi cial pleasures seem like the farthest one can be from nature. And again, Sashie surprises you by what he perceives as natural. In fact, he holds immense appreciation for manmade objects and fi nds beauty in the contours of disused machines and the monotony of their uniformity.

“I believe these brands and their products are part of nature,” Sashie declares, “All man-made objects are part of nature, as they are a

natural extension of mankind, and a physical manifestation of man’s creativity. For instance, while petrol is derived from nature, we often think of it and treat it as artifi cial. I believe that everything we make is also nature because we are nature.”

Born in 1974 in Kanazawa, Japan, which is also where he currently lives, Sashie has imbibed the rich traditional art heritage of his city as much as he has attuned himself to its ever-rising contemporary art dynamics. Sashie’s work has been exhibited throughout Asia and the US including art fairs such as The Armory Show in New York and Art Hong Kong. In 2012, his work was included in the Giant Robot Biennale 3 exhibition at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, California.

As an infl uential artist who represents the Japanese fl ag around the world, Sashie doesn’t back away from even replacing the large red disc, representing the sun, in the centre of the Japanese fl ag, in his

painting titled Fever. The red disc makes way for his favourite muse — an orb, either fi lled with pachinko units, vending machines or fast-food brands. “I wanted to show how the streets of Japan are so safe that the food and drink vending machines are so commonplace all across our cities. So while the contents of the orb speak about the safety in Japan, it also speaks of the American brands taking over our society,” he explains.

As art lovers of Doha admire and converse over the series of Sashie paintings that grace the bright white walls of the gallery, at one corner lies an art installation that’s basically a real world rendering of one of Sashie’s works — a rubble of car tyres strewn with broken home appliances, and a large grey fl ag perched on top of the heap. It seems like a call to action for mankind at large, a visual warning of what our greed has left us with.

“The fl ag is grey because grey has no meaning. So you can interpret this the way you wish,” Sashie says and smiles. It’s perhaps that spacious breathing room for boundless interpretation that Sashie’s clearly worrisome depiction of a near-dystopian future allows is what makes his work stay with you, long after you have left the venue.

Perhaps the spacious breathing room for boundless interpretation that Sashie’s clearly worrisome depiction of a near-dystopian future allows is what makes his work stay with you, long after you have left the venue

Sashie replaces the large red disc, which represents the sun, in the centre of the Japanese flag, in his painting titled Fever. A lizard and a frog desire for artificial things that hover in air as orbs, in two of Sashie’s paintings.

One of Sashie’s works. Ghada Sholy, owner of Anima Art Gallery and Lounge, with Sashie and others at the exhibition.


COMMUNITY WEATHER ADDICT

By Steff Gaulter

A huge wildfi re has engulfed parts of Canada, forcing an entire city to evacuate. Approximately 80,000 residents were told to leave their homes as the fi re bore

down on Fort McMurray. The city became a ghost town, with buildings and cars standing empty and abandoned.

Fortunately, 90 percent of the buildings are believed to have been saved from the fi re and this includes some of the most critical infrastructure, such as the hospital and water-treatment plant. However, some of the neighbourhoods that have been hit are now completely unrecognisable. Row upon row of houses has been razed to ground, leaving only an odd surviving lamppost or a burnt out vehicle in a driveway.

Obviously for those people who have lost everything, the pain is almost unimaginable, but even those who still have homes, the trauma isn’t over yet. At the time of writing this, it was still not considered safe enough for anyone to return to the city. The power grid has been damaged and water in the city is no longer safe to drink. For safety reasons the gas supply was turned off during the fi re and cannot be switched back on until extensive checks have been undertaken, and there is

also a signifi cant amount of debris littering some neighbourhoods. Until these problems have been addressed, the city cannot be considered safe enough for the residents to return.

As one of the coldest countries in the world, Canada is better known for snow and ice hockey, than for its heat and wildfi res, but that’s not to say that the country is a stranger to heatwaves. The deadliest weather event to hit the country was an extreme heatwave which struck in 1936. Approximately 780 people lost their lives, and an additional 400 were killed indirectly – as a result of drowning whilst swimming, or in car accidents on asphalt which became slippery in the heat.

The heat usually starts to emerge in the spring, but it doesn’t appear gradually. The frigid icy weather which has been dominating the region throughout the winter is forcefully pushed out by the warm air from the Gulf of Mexico. The battle between the diff erent types of weather can continue for months, and often leads to huge fl uctuations in temperature; on April 19 the maximum temperature in Fort McMurray reached a toasty 21C (70F), but the very next day the temperature struggled to reach 4C (39F).

The risk of wildfi res in Canada is usually greatest between April and September, but it was already suspected that this year would bring a much greater number of wildfi res

than usual. Last year was certainly an active season, with western Canada seeing one of the worst wildfi re seasons on record.

Over the last three years the region has seen below average rainfall, and 2015 was particularly dry. This is thought to be due to El Nino, the warming of the waters of the Pacifi c Ocean, which often brings dry conditions to western Canada. The lack of rain has dried out much of the vegetation, leaving the forest particularly vulnerable to fi res.

When the defi ciency of snow and rain continued last winter, the decision was made to move Alberta’s 2016 wildfi re season forward, so it started one month earlier than usual, on March 1. The temperature in Fort McMurray on this day was only -3C, 27F, and therefore the threat of a forest fi re was somewhat minimal. However, by the end of the month the temperatures were fl uctuating wildly. On May 2, the day that the fi re bore down on Fort McMurray, the maximum temperature was 27C (81F) and the following days were even hotter.

The maximum temperature of 32C (90F) was accompanied by a strong and gusty wind. At its worst it was gusting up to 72 kilometres per hour (45 mph), fanning the fl ames of the fi re and encouraging it to spread. Even on May 5, the temperature dropped, but the winds were still working against the fi re fi ghters.

The gusty winds didn’t only help the fi re gain ground quickly, but it also helped it to move in unexpected ways. It even jumped the huge Athabasca river, which bisects Fort McMurray. The river is over one kilometre wide, and it was hoped it would protect a portion of the city.

The toll of the fi re is far from over, but it is believed that this will be the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history. The insurance claims are said to already have topped one billion Canadian dollars, but the real expense comes from the fact that Fort McMurray is in the middle of the oil sands of Canada. The fi re has forced many oil producers to reduce their crude-oil output, with more than a quarter of daily production now suspended.

The residents of Fort McMurray will be desperate to return home and assess the damage to their properties. As the long summer stretches ahead of them, there is still the risk of more fi res to come. Having faced a fi re which was twice the size of Calgary, or 12 times the size of Doha, the worst for those in Fort McMurray must surely be over. For other parts of western parts of Canada, however, the risk of more life-threatening wildfi res remains real.

(The author is Senior Weather Presenter at Al Jazeera English channel. She can be contacted on steff [email protected]

or on Twitter at @WeatherSteff )

Wildfire forces entire city in Canada to evacuate

The devastated neighbourhood of Abasand after being ravaged by a wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. Photo by Reuters


COMMUNITY

Italian alfresco dining by the sea

In Doha, one might think, you can’t have your slice of Italy and eat it, too. At the La Veranda restaurant though, gorgeously set on the brink of the Corniche, you can have your slice

of quintessential Italian alfresco dining ambience by the sea – so what if it’s Arabian and not Mediterranean – and eat a slice of delicious pizzas off wood-fi red ovens, too.

The recently revamped Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel houses top-of-the-line restaurants that are specialists in the cuisines they deal with such as Al Maskar, Al Hubara, Al Shaheen, Latino Steakhouse, and La Veranda. Authentic Italian cuisine inspired by everything from traditional home-cooked goodness to the gastronomic rewards of focusing on fresh produce, La Veranda packs in the kitchen favourites with fl air and off ers a fantastic sea view to boot.

As an appetiser, the Melanzane alla parmigiana with its mix of eggplant, basil, tomato sauce, parmesan and mozzarella, for instance, works on many levels. With tender-to-the-bite gnocchi slathered in a rich white cheesy ensemble, Gnocchi ai quattro formaggi is a heaven-sent hug to the taste buds. Deep saff ron notes and fresh burrata cheese stand out all through in the creamy

Risotto allo zaff erano that satisfi es in terms of both quantity and substance. The star of the desserts section, Tiramisu tradizionale crumbles and melts in mouth to such gratifying sweetness that you might want to pen a poem in its praise.

Among the other highlights in the menu are Tagliata di manzo (grilled rib eye served with rocket salad and cherry tomato), Galleto arrosto (roasted baby chicken served with grilled vegetables and potatoes), Grigliata di mare (seafood mixed grill of lobster, cuttlefi sh, king prawns and scallops, served with grilled vegetables and salmoriglio dressing), Porcini e tartufo pizza (mozzarella, porcini mushrooms and black truffl e), and Ravioli di burrata (fi lled with burrata and served with lobster ragu).

Italian cuisine in Doha is on a tremendous high – only last week, Ospitalita’ Italiana Diplomas, which follows procedures similar to those of being awarded a Michelin Star, were awarded to 11 Italian restaurants of Qatar for meeting the highest standards of food and service. In the face of such intense competition and Italian cuisine alternatives, how does La Veranda stand out from the rest?

Head Chef Alessandro told Community, “The location of our restaurant, with the unique sea view and the beautiful ambience, the authentic wood oven pizzas, the use of fresh seasonal ingredients; these are some of the distinguishing factors.”

One would have to agree. The terrifi c location is complemented by a menu that revels in sophisticated simplicity and authentic fl avours, which is made only better by how light the food at La Veranda is on the stomach. “We want our guests to experience Italy in the heart of Doha, be it through the combination of authentic Italian fl avours we off er or the warm ambience of our restaurant. We see to it that our guests leave the restaurant satisfi ed, peaceful and happy,” the Chef says.

Understandably, great care is taken to ensure that the ingredients are of Italian origin and of high quality. “We focus on procuring Italian-origin ingredients and that the food is cooked by Italian chefs,” Alessandro says, “Also, we ensure that the preparation method of dishes follow the traditional way of Italian cooking.”

Over time, La Veranda has enjoyed good word of mouth and it has become as much a favourite with many locals and expats as a dining place as it has for its business lunches and weekend brunches. Alessandro says, “For us, the best compliment has come from the guests who have travelled to Italy. They have congratulated us at La Veranda for exceeding their expectations and matching Italy’s fi nest restaurants.”

TASTE OF ITALY: Homemade ravioli with burrata cheese and orange, lobster ragout and lobster mayo at La Veranda.

The La Veranda restaurant.

La Veranda at Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention

Hotel ‘matches Italy’s finest restaurants.’ By Anand Holla


COMMUNITY

MES conducts investiture ceremony of its Student Council for 2016-17MES Indian School conducted the investiture ceremony of its newly elected Student Council members for the academic year 2016-2017 recently. The inductees include school appointees and prefects, club secretaries, Campus Care Force leaders, scouts and guides, cubs and bulbuls and house captains of all sections of the school. Yousuf Najeeb was inducted as the Junior Head Boy, Onaisas Rashid as the Junior Head Girl, Akhil Uday as the Senior Head Boy, Fathima Nida Jamal as the Senior Head Girl, Mohammed Omer as Head Boy CBSE-I, and Elisabeth Mary Ajit as Head Girl CBSE-i.

MES Under-17 wins CBSE Qatar Cluster Badminton TournamentThe Under-17 badminton team of MES Indian School comprising Saif Sayed Mohamed, Haadi Mohamed Hashim and Sahal Rahman won the CBSE Qatar Cluster Badminton Tournament hosted by DMIS Indian School recently, qualifying for the CBSE National Badminton Tournament. The Under-14 Boys’ team of MES — Shaff in Reyods, Punit Paandey and Arjun — finished third in the tournament. The teams were trained by Binoy KK of the Physical Education Department of the school.

QAID instructs 2,500 students about dental healthThe Qatar Association of Indian Dentists (QAID), a conglomerate of dental practitioners in Qatar, carried out extensive oral health awareness programmes in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health in various Indian schools of Qatar during April. This was to commemorate the 7th GCC Oral Health Week, the theme of which was “Teeth, Health & Beauty”. The primary aim of the programme was to instil dental hygiene awareness among school-going children, as oral cavity is considered the most used as well as the most abused part of one’s body. People generally have little knowledge about various preventive measures that keep oral diseases away. The programme was conducted in 12 Indian schools in Qatar. A team

of more than 30 dentists of QAID delivered oral health education to around 2,500 students and 120 teachers, laying special emphasis on prevention and treatment of oral diseases like cavities, gum redness and management during dental emergencies. Education was in the form of lectures, demonstrations and interactive sessions.Participating schools were Birla Public School, Bhavan’s Public School, DPS-MIS, Doha Modern Indian School, Loyola International School, Noble International School, Olive International School, Pearl School, The Scholars International School, Shantiniketan Indian School, and Rajagiri Public School.


COMMUNITY

DPS-MIS remains unbeaten in Hajika Memorial Inter-School Essay Writing CompetitionTwo of DPS-Modern Indian School students, Beenish Khan and Shubhangi Kumari bagged the first position in both the categories of Hajika Memorial Inter-School Essay Writing Competition, conducted by the Indian Community Benevolent Forum at Birla Public School recently. Around 200 students from eight Indian schools participated in the competition held in junior and senior categories. Beenish won in the junior category, while Shubhangi won in the senior category. The competition was in memory of Hajika, a social and charitable activist, who bestowed his services to the Indian community in Qatar.

DeBakey students visit restaurant to practice SpanishDeBakey students who are enrolled in Spanish visited Aceite restaurant at Melia Hotel recently. Students enjoyed traditional Spanish dishes like tapas and paella, as well as practiced their Spanish skills when ordering their food. DeBakey high school students must complete two years of a foreign language, and this field trip was an extension of their classroom lessons.


COMMUNITY

Blood donation campaign by Integral ServicesIntegral Services Co joined hands with Hamad Medical Corporation recently to organise a blood donation campaign at its head off ice on the D Ring Road recently. The slogan of the initiative was “Donate Blood, Save a Life”. The campaign was supported by employees from various departments. More than 75 employees registered to donate blood, and 52 of them qualified for blood donation after the screening process.

Indian businessman dies

Mohamed Sherif, an Indian national running a super market in Doha Central Market died of heart attack on Thursday. He was 44.The body was flown home on Friday. Sherif leaves behind his wife Naseema and five children. A native of Sulthan Bathery in Kerala’s Wayanad district, Sherif was in Qatar for more than 4 years.

OSN appoints a Chief Content Off icer

OSN has announced the appointment of Emad Morcos as its Chief Content Offi cer, a newly

created organisational role. He will be responsible for driving OSN’s consolidated content strategy and is also mandated with the acquisition of programming rights across all OSN platforms.

With over 24 years of broadcast experience gained in some of the world’s leading media companies in the US, Europe and the Middle East, Morcos has been serving as Senior Vice President, Media Partners & Digital at OSN. He reports to David Butorac, Chief Executive Offi cer of OSN.

David Butorac said: “The diff erentiating strength of OSN is its extensive portfolio of exclusive and premium content tailored for all our platforms including linear TV, OSN Play and Go online TV. Emad brings strong industry insights and experience that will enable us to continue to build on our leadership position. Emad’s new role will mean consolidation of content across platforms which is key to our success going forward.”

Emad Morcos said: “Today’s audiences are discerning about how and what they view. They demand the newest content at the same minute as global audiences. This calls for a comprehensive world-view on our content strategy for all our platforms to add sustained value for our subscribers. We will continue to focus on building global partnerships with the world’s

premier content and channel providers, alongside an emphasis on local content creation to maintain our cutting edge as the premier provider of world-class entertainment.”

In his new role, Emad will further build on OSN’s content

consolidation strategy that will drive revenue growth and cost management while enhancing the subscriber experience. He will also be responsible for the acquisition of rights for all platforms, programming and creative services.

Part of the senior management

team at OSN since 2007, Morcos has played an instrumental role in driving the company’s growth forging new partnerships and global channel distribution deals. He was behind the launch of OSN’s award-winning digital platforms, OSN Play and Go online

TV. Morcos spearheaded the acquisition of Pehla, enabling OSN to establish its credentials as a go-to network for premium South Asian content including cricket and was key in strengthening OSN’s Filipino entertainment off ering.

Emad Morcos

Obituary


COMMUNITYMARKETING

BMW Lifestyle Collections 2016 promise a powerful statementF

or those who want to extend the BMW experience beyond the road, the BMW Lifestyle Collections promise a further way to experience the typical BMW dynamism and

lifestyle at its best. The all-new BMW Lifestyle Collections,

presented in the centenary year of the BMW Group, now off er an even wider range to choose from, with more than 250 new products and styles.

An array of new watches joins the 2016 BMW Collections. Sporty features merge eff ortlessly with sophisticated appeal. Thanks to a large variety of diff erent designs, there is a model to suit everyone’s taste. For

example, the BMW Day Date model (ladies’ and men’s) with its Swiss Ronda movement, structured dial pattern and leather strap is timelessly elegant.

Then there’s the new BMW Chrono Watch, with its angular stainless-steel case and embossed leather strap, a powerful eye-catcher. The unisex chronograph also features a round dial with an integrated tachymeter around the rim, a date display (at 4 o’clock position) and a coloured BMW logo at the top of the dial. Luminous indices and luminous hands ensure easy readability.

For those who prefer something even more eye-stopping, the BMW Sport Chronograph has to be the right choice. With a diameter of

43 millimetres, a polished bezel and a bright blue dial, this men’s watch promises to make the ultimate visual statement. The robust bracelet with links of brushed stainless steel and a butterfl y clasp make the chronograph a reliable companion for every adventure. Like all BMW watches, this model is equipped with a high-quality quartz movement by Ronda.

BMW Lifestyle has added two new items to the successful BMW Luggage Collection. With the BMW Garment Bag and the BMW Duffl e Bag, it is easier than ever to travel comfortably yet in style.

With large zips and ventilated side pockets, the new BMW Garment Bag provides optimal

storage for clothes and shoes. Flat mesh pockets inside the bag keep clothing neatly organised at all times. And there’s a further clever feature: using the side zips, the BMW Garment Bag can be converted quickly and easily into a stylish weekender-size bag. This bag for every occasion is ideal for both business trips and weekend getaways.

The new BMW Duffl e Bag provides a fashionable alternative to regular sports bags and small suitcases. This spacious bag has a tasteful herringbone design, with genuine leather straps and the BMW word mark on both sides. Two inner compartments, a zip pocket, and a key ring help keep everything neatly organised.

Some of the watches and bags in the new collection.

Huawei named ‘Best 5G Innovator’ at inaugural LTE & 5G MENA Awards

Huawei took home the award for Best 5G Innovator at the inaugural LTE & 5G MENA Awards held at

the Conrad Dubai recently. Sun Xiaofeng, the Vice President

of Solution Sales & Marketing in the Middle East, said: “We are excited by the award and this refl ects our commitments and beliefs in the region. As the region continues to harness the potential of LTE and expand its networks, Huawei has proven to be one of the leading innovators in the region’s mobile broadband market. With ambitious mobile broadband plans already underway, we believe that the Middle East will help lead the development of 5G globally and Huawei certainly plans to help facilitate that development.”

In addition to winning the award, Huawei is Diamond Sponsor for this year’s edition of LTE MENA. The conference was opened by Dr Margaret Hu, President of Huawei Wireless Network Marketing, with a mobile broadband blueprint for the

next fi ve years.“MBB development will make

‘Everything on Mobile’ a reality,” She said. “To realise this vision however, we must develop and unify cross-industry standards, contain costs, and promote co-operation among diff erent stakeholders. These three factors will help drive growth in this market. From now

until 2020, we have three main targets globally: supporting 6.7 billion mobile broadband users, supporting a 1Gbps access rate, and supporting 1 billion connections for the cellular Internet of Things. In the region in particular, we believe that the emergence of a fully-connected world with boundless possibilities is imminent. Achieving

these goals will most certainly require technology, business model innovation as well as cross-industry collaboration.”

More than 600 experts from the global ICT industry convened at the conference to discuss mobile broadband and other emerging technologies. Huawei partnered with telecom operators, analysts,

regulators, and a host of other technology pioneers to put the MENA region at the forefront of today’s connected world and map out the future road to 5G.

Together with the event organiser Informa, Huawei also co-hosted the fi rst MBB VIP Salon at the event, inviting CXOs and VPs from more than 15 major operators in the region to attend. Guests included industry leaders, senior executives from OVUM, as well as representatives from The UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.

Mohamed Madkour, VP of Huawei Wireless Network Marketing shared that Broadband, connections enable the rise of a host of new business models and can help to effi ciently restructure traditional industries and generally improve effi ciencies and living experiences for all.

Huawei has extended global open partnerships on 5G technologies with more than 20 operators, including Etisalat, Vodafone, Telefonica and TeliaSonera.

The Huawei team at the inaugural LTE & 5G MENA Awards.


COMMUNITY MOTORING

2016 GMC Acadia, a coveted family stapleD

esigned for families on-the-go, the GMC Acadia – a refi ned, full-size crossover known for its

fl exibility, accommodating space and functionality – has never been more within reach. Mannai Auto, GMC’s exclusive dealership in Qatar, is currently running a special off er, one that provides buyers with a host of benefi ts including an instalment plan that starts from QR2,377 per month.

Moreover, the deal promises free registration, one year’s free insurance, a three-year/60,000 kilometres free service package, and a fi ve-year unlimited mileage warranty. The warranty also comes with Roadside Assistance for a period of four years. Tailored for family life, the Acadia – which comes equipped with highly advanced safety features – provides drivers with the convenience, comfort, and style needed to navigate today’s fast-paced urban lifestyle.

Acadia’s 2016 lineup includes the SLE, the SLT and the Denali models, with seven- or eight-passenger confi gurations. All

Acadia models are equipped with a 288hp 3.6L V-6 engine and a six-speed transmission powertrain, that includes performance and fuel

economy optimising technology.The Acadia’s interior

functionality has become a family favourite, including the Smart Slide

seating system, which allows easy access to the third row for both seven- and eight-passenger seating confi gurations. Additionally, the second and third row still fold fl at for class-leading maximum cargo space.

The spacious interior of the GMC Acadia is complemented with the user friendly and feature rich IntelliLink infotainment system which is available as standard on the base SLE for the 2016 model year.

IntelliLink uses Bluetooth or USB to connect the driver smartphone to Acadia’s high-resolution, full-colour touch screen display. IntelliLink allows smartphone control via voice activation and steering wheel-mounted controls, and streaming stereo audio from the phone.

Most importantly, IntelliLink enables seamless integration of stowed portable devices with Acadia’s infotainment system, allowing minimum driver distractions.

The GMC Acadia.

Audi is ‘Most Innovative Premium Brand’

Audi has claimed three wins at the Automotive Innovation Award. The award is presented by the research institute

Center of Automotive Management (CAM) and PricewaterhouseCoopers AG (PwC). Audi wins the “Most Innovative Premium Brand” main prize. The brand with the four rings also receives awards for its innovations in the categories “Connected Car” and “Vehicle Concepts/Body”.

“These awards are both praise and motivation for our team,” said Dr Stefan Knirsch, Member of the AUDI AG Board of Management for Technical Development. “We are an innovation driver for classic and alternative drive systems, lightweight construction and production processes, connectivity, driver assistance and piloted driving – and we are working continuously to maintain our ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’.”

The Center of Automotive Management and PricewaterhouseCoopers AG presented the Automotive Innovations Award for the fi fth time this year. Over 1,400 innovations from 20 automobile manufacturers and 50 brands were considered for the award. The award ceremony was held last week in Frankfurt am Main.

From left, Felix Kuhnert, Leader Automotive Pricewaterhouse Coopers AG; Dr Stefan Knirsch, Member of the AUDI AG Board of Management for Technical Development; Barbara Hahlweg, Presenter; and Prof Dr Stefan Bratzel, Director Center of Automotive Management.


COMMUNITYINFOGRAPHIC


COMMUNITY PUZZLES/CARTOONS

Adam

Pooch Cafe

Garfield

Bound And Gagged

Codeword

Wordsearch

Every letter of the alphabet is used at least once. Squares with the same number in have the same letter in. Work out which number represents which letter.

Puzz

les

cour

tesy

: Puz

zlec

hoic

e.co

m

AGOSTINI ASHE BORG CARNERA COMANECI DEMPSEY

EDBERG EVERT FANGIO GRAF HAGEN HOGAN

LAUDA LEWIS NURMI OVETT OWENS PALMER

RUTH SPITZ TUNNEY VIREN WILLIAMSZATOPEK

World of Sports

Sudoku

Sudoku is a puzzle based

on a 9x9 grid. The grid is

also divided into nine (3x3)

boxes. You are given a

selection of values and to

complete the puzzle, you

must fill the grid so that

every column, every anone

is repeated.


COMMUNITYPUZZLES

Colouring

Answers

Wordsearch Codeword

DOWN1. Reproach (7)2. Vehicle (7)3. Demand (5)4. Intricate (7)5. Essential (5)6. Tally (5)9. Leaving (9)14. Feign (7)15. Brave (7)16. Raiser (7)19. Gradient (5)20. Friendship (5)21. Arc (5)

ACROSS7. Fat (6)8. Pugilism (6)10. Accept (7)11. Put (5)12. Image (4)13. Manufacturer (5)17. Hackneyed (5)18. Couple (4)22. Boundary (5)23. Regular habit (7)24. Obvious (6)25. Boulevard (6)

ACROSS7. Courteous letter from town (6)8. A moving proposal? (6)10. Merely frozen water in fair play (7)11. Fish move on ice? (5)12. Beware the underground chamber! (4)13. Steer clear of an empty space (5)17. Shrub, or its anagram (5)18 . The book is coming my way (4)22. Regretting having to spoil string (5)23. Formerly quoted as being keyed up (7)24. Selected for the team, but not on the wing (6)25. Iris on the bottle (6)

DOWN1. Dependent topic (7)2. Insulting about a passenger vehicle I have (7)3 . Getting some ocean tickets is quite a caper! (5)4 . Row back to vessel for service (7)5. Trespass on first-class desert (5)6. Stone used in attack (5)9. Reserve for later attention -when the holiday has ended (5,4)14. Grew old in attempt to produce drama (7)15. The cost of a letter from the Gestapo (7)16. The title of the course (7)19. Drill the retinue? (5)20. Conifer on street to begin with (5)21. Reprimand: found buyers for about 100 (5)

Quick Clues

Cryptic Clues

Yesterday’s Solutions

QUICKAcross: 1 Jewel; 4 Apricot; 8 Respect; 9 Charm; 10 Seer; 11 Converse; 13 Sane; 14 Iron; 16 Diabolic; 17 Late; 20 Naive; 21 Salient; 22 Exalted; 23 Total.Down: 1 Jurisprudence; 2 Waste; 3 Leer; 4 Author; 5 Recovery; 6 Chagrin; 7 Temperamental; 12 Indolent; 13 Stamina; 15 Missed; 18 Adept; 19 Flat.

CRYPTICAcross: 1 Hoist; 4 Lioness; 8 Gear-box; 9 Trace; 10 Even; 11 Star turn; 13 Oral; 14 Male; 16 In the air; 17 Awes; 20 Dwell; 21 Asunder; 22 Rookery; 23 Press.Down: 1 Highest bidder; 2 Irate; 3 Tube; 4 Laxity; 5 Outbreak; 6 Erasure; 7 Stern measures; 12 Pale blue; 13 On the go; 15 Bigamy; 18 Wedge; 19 Pump.


COMMUNITY LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE

ARIESMarch 21 — April 19

CANCERJune 21 — July 22

LIBRASeptember 23 — October 22

CAPRICORNDecember 22 — January 19

TAURUSApril 20 — May 20

LEOJuly 23 — August 22

SCOR PIOOctober 23 — November 21

AQUARIUSJanuary 20 — February 18

GEMINIMay 21 — June 20

VIRGOAugust 23 — September 22

SAGITTARIUSNovember 22 — December 21

PISCESFebruary 19 — March 20

Today’s Moon shines in Virgo — your hard work zone. If you have

something to do today which simply won’t wait another day...today’s

the day! Jupiter in the same part of your chart is just the cosmic

push you need too.

In earthy Virgo, the Moon shines on your 3rd house of siblings,

communication and clear thinking. With Jupiter, the planet of

opportunity in the same part of your chart, this is the perfect time

to start thinking about what it is you want for you and your family in

the near future.

Uranus the planet of surprises and unexpected events spends

time in your one on one relationship zone and has done for quite

some time. If your life has been full of ups and downs in love and

friendship, enjoy the ride!

What did you expect Capricorns? That people were simply going to

allow you to get away with whatever it is you’re trying to get away

with — no questions asked?

Unless you really feel the need to sort something out with your

significant other, now is not the time to start talking about things

and how and where the relationship is headed.

Open your eyes and be honest and realistic about something that

you may have been ignoring lately, Leos. It’s okay to hide out every

now and again, but enough is enough.

There’s nothing better than being right, is there? You for one love to

be on the ‘right side’, don’t you? However, just how important is it

today Scorpios?

Right now, the planets are rather earth heavy — meaning that for you

air signs, there’s not a lot of room to manoeuver. Mars retrograde in

your hopes and wishes zone also suggests that right now is not the

time to push your agenda.

Don’t overstep your ’place’ today twins. You should know when to

step it up and when to take a step or back — and with the Moon

and Jupiter both in your domestic zone, it might be a time to work

around the house versus working on anything else.

The Moon and Jupiter in your sign today suggest that luck is on your

side and that once Mercury your ruler moves direct in your higher

thinking zone May 21, you will be set to make moves!

Don’t make a decision today based on a feeling of obligation or guilt.

That’s definitely not the right reason for making up your mind —

especially about something important.

Avoid getting caught up in something you may want to get out

of later on Pisces. Jupiter and the Moon in your relationship zone

paints a pretty picture today, but next week maybe not.

5 dream projects for DIYers and the tools you need to get them done

For many people, the longer, warmer days mean an opportunity to roll up their sleeves and get to work on a number of home projects. You may plan to plant some new trees,

make a new dining room table or just keep up

with the usual list of repairs and maintenance items that come with the change of seasons. But if you’re like many DIYers, you have your heart set on some larger projects.

Often, one of the logistical challenges with these dream projects is that they tend to

require specialised equipment and tools even the most diehard DIYer doesn’t own. The upside is that it’s easy to rent this equipment at your local rental store.

Be a grill-master on a brick barbecueThere are those who enjoy grilling out and

those whose life revolves around grilling. For these grill-masters, nothing expresses their passion like a brick grill or oven. And just as satisfying as cooking on one, is building one. To lay the foundation, a concrete mixer is essential. To lay the bricks, you’ll also want to look for a mortar mixer.

Add value to your property with a fence

Cutting the posts and shaping the tops of the fence boards is fun, but the truly backbreaking part of putting in a fence is digging and driving the posts in. Using a pneumatic post hole digger or a power auger to dig those holes will not only save you time, but will save your back as well.

A deck: The essential DIY projectMany of these dream projects require

careful site preparation before any hammer

or nail makes an appearance. Building a deck requires lots of space, which means you need to clear a good-sized area and maybe remove a tree or two. Even small-sized shrubs can leave behind an unsightly stump that requires a stump grinder to fully remove.

Nothing says summer like hot days and cold drinks in a gazebo

Even if you pride yourself on being able to drive in a nail with one hammer swing, if you’re building a gazebo, you might want to look into renting a nail gun. Not only does a nail gun off er precise placements and strong holds, it also saves an incredible amount of time, especially when it comes to putting the shingles on the roof.

Luxuriate under a pergolaDating back to courtyards in renaissance

Italy, the pergola has become a stylised source of shade in yards and patios across America. Because they tend to be more decorative than gazebos, they require specialised saws such as a miter saw to create snug joints and a router saw for round edges.

©Brandpoint


COMMUNITYBOLLYWOOD

I was avoided by all on Udta Punjab set: Alia

Actress Alia Bhatt, who plays a migrant Bihari labourer in Abhishek Chaubey’s fi lm Udta Punjab, says she was avoided on the sets of the fi lm as she was unrecognisable in her look.

“When we started shooting, I walked on to the sets and I was avoided by all. Nobody realised that it was me. Suddenly

when I spoke to Chaubey, everybody realised and took fi ve steps back. They felt they had made a blunder,” said Alia at the launch of the song Ikk Kudi from the fi lm.

Composed by Amit Trivedi, Ikk Kudi is a slow Punjabi song that directly touches the heart. The video of the track shows Alia, who plays an aspiring hockey player, striving to get her fi rst chance to display her talent and how she eventually gets one.

Speaking about her character, Alia said: “If a character is angry or upset or distraught, Alia doesn’t have anything to do with it because it is the character. I am comfortable doing whatever my character wants me to do.”

Udta Punjab also stars Shahid Kapoor, Diljit Dosanjh and Kareena Kapoor Khan. Produced by Balaji Motion Pictures and Phantom Productions, it is set to release on June 17. — IANS

I started the remix culture: Mohit Suri

SURPRISE ELEMENT: Alia Bhatt

TRENDSETTER: Mohit Suri

UPBEAT: Parineeti Chopra

By Natalia Ningthoujam

Tum hi ho, Hamari adhuri kahani or Aye khuda, the music of his fi lms always has a lot of heart and soul. But fi lmmaker Mohit Suri says that people tend to forget that he was the one who began the trend in the country

of remixing current songs.When he made his debut as a director with the 2005

fi lm Zeher, the movie not only made Pakistani singer Atif Aslam a star in India, thanks to the melodious Woh lamhe woh baatein number — it also introduced the concept of remixing current tracks.

“Most people associate me with soulful music. They forget that I started the remix culture. People don’t realise that I had started the whole trend of disco music. Earlier, there were remixes of only old songs and not current songs,” Suri told IANS in an interview.

It didn’t take him long to think of joining forces with DJ Suketu, a friend of Suri, on remixing Woh lamhe woh baatein. “The song became a rage. They (the audience) forget that music and now only associate me with soulful music. For me, when it comes to movies it’s always situational,” he said.

So, now he is glad to be associated with EMI Records India — a collaborative label between Universal Music India and Suri.

“The idea is to develop new talent ... not only in one genre. My fi lm can have only fi ve songs, but there are so many songs and artists that I like but can’t use them. EMI has given me that opportunity. The thought of

developing music outside fi lms made me jump at the opportunity,” said the Ek Villain director.

The fi rst release by EMI Records was Anmol Malik’s single Lamhein — a Hindi adaptation of Coldplay’s Paradise.

Any other song that he wants to adapt?“Akhaan is a folk song and has been modernised in

a way. But it’s not planned (to adapt songs). For me, I go by what I like listening to, what I can tap my feet to. That’s the criteria,” he said referring to the label’s recently launched Akhaan — a dance number by urban electronica collective Mango Beats.

Is singing or composing music in the pipeline?“I don’t know how to play one musical instrument.

I don’t listen to music in any technical form. I never impose my own thoughts on music directors. I just tell them what I feel but in the end the call is taken by the music composer and lyricist. Otherwise, all my music will sound similar,” said Suri, who is the nephew of fi lmmaker Mahesh Bhatt.

“I genuinely believe that Mahesh and Mukesh saab have a great music sense, and I think it’s a genetic thing that I have inherited. I didn’t take music course or I don’t have any special skills.

“I remember when I was really young, my mother used to take me to Emraan Hashmi’s (actor and his cousin) house in a rickshaw during summer vacation. Even in rickshaw, if a good song played my mom would ask the driver to stop a little ahead till it got over,” he reminisced.

Apart from music, he is tied up with his next fi lm titled Half Girlfriend, based on author Chetan Bhagat’s novel of the same name. — IANS

Big B lists disadvantages of fame

Just a day after getting embroiled in a tax evasion case, megastar Amitabh Bachchan pointed out how fame and success “has the capacity to garner hostility, revenge, envy, jealousy and allied attributes”.

The Supreme Court upheld a

plea by income tax authorities challenging a Bombay High Court order that permitted Amitabh tax relief in earnings made from Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC).

But according to the chartered accountants and the legal advisory team of Amitabh, the case had no relation to the KBC case. It further said that the Supreme Court had given Amitabh the right to appeal against the re-assessment order.

The 73-year-old took to his offi cial blog to express his views.

He posted: “Prominence in any form attracts attention ... fame, celebrity, eminence, pre-eminence, importance, distinction, greatness, note, notability, prestige, stature, standing, position, rank, renown, repute, illustriousness, acclaim, infl uence, account, consequence, visibility.

“All the above can fi t in beautifully in ‘prominence’ but the argument or debate that could be centered around it would have to be distracted by a million diff erent interpretations of it ; not necessarily sympathetic ..It has the capacity to garner hostility, revenge, envy jealousy and allied attributes.”

On the professional front, Amitabh is awaiting the release of TE3N and Pink. — IANS

Parineeti Chopra starts Meri Pyaari Bindu shoot

Actress Parineeti Chopra is happy she has begun to shoot for the upcoming fi lm Meri Pyaari Bindu in the City of Joy. Parineeti, last seen on screen in Shaad Ali-directed Kill Dil, says her co-star Ayushmann Khurrana will join the set soon.

“It all begins in the City of Joy! Bindu’s favourite Abhimanyu will be here soon. Watch out for Ayushmann Khurrana. Meri Pyaari Bindu, Parineeti tweeted on

Thursday.The Ishaqzaade star will be

seen essaying the character of an aspiring singer in the Yash Raj Films (YRF) movie and she will also croon a number for it. Ayushmann will be seen essaying the character of an author named Abhimanyu Roy, and fl aunts a bearded look for it.

Meri Pyaari Bindu Parineeti Chopra I love it when the Bindu in you says such things,” Ayushmann tweeted. Set in Kolkata, the fi lm is directed by debutant Akshay Roy and is a Maneesh Sharma production. — IANS

FLIP SIDE: Amitabh Bachchan


COMMUNITY HOLLYWOOD

By Josh Rottenberg

Michael Fassbender is not a big video game guy — at least not anymore. In his younger days,

the actor remembers coming home from a night job unloading boxes in a warehouse and playing one particular racing game. “I’d get obsessive about it and sit there for six hours straight,” Fassbender said recently by phone from Australia, where he is currently shooting the next fi lm in the Alien franchise. “I decided it wasn’t the best thing for me to have around.”

When the French video game developer Ubisoft approached Fassbender a few years ago about signing on to a fi lm adaptation of its popular game series Assassin’s Creed, he knew next to nothing about the game, which blends history, parkour-style action, sci-fi , conspiracy theories and, as the title suggests, a whole lot of stealthy killing. “I hadn’t played it,” said the actor. “I was totally ignorant.”

Suffi ce it to say, he’s learned a lot since then. On December 21, 20th Century Fox will release its big-screen take on Assassin’s Creed, with Fassbender starring as Callum Lynch, an alienated, violent drifter who discovers that he is descended from a 15th century Spanish assassin named Aguilar. Recruited (kidnapped is more like it) by a corporation called Abstergo Industries, Lynch taps into his ancestral memories via a device called the Animus to gain the know-how to fi ght the Assassins’ age-old nemeses, the Templars, in a battle for the future of humanity.

“Callum doesn’t belong to anything, doesn’t have a family,” Fassbender said of the character, who is diff erent from the original games’ main protagonist, a young bartender named Desmond Miles. “We thought it would be interesting to have somebody that was disconnected be faced with what it means to join something so sacrifi cial.”

With their rabid built-in fan bases, fast-paced action and often complex mythologies, video games have often been alluring fodder for movie adaptations. Assassin’s Creed is one of four hitting theatres this year, along with Ratchet and Clank, The Angry Birds Movie

and Warcraft, and many more are in the pipeline. (Among other projects, Ubisoft’s fi lm division is also developing an adaptation of its Splinter Cell game series, with actor Tom Hardy attached to star.)

Translating the interactive gaming experience into the medium of narrative fi lm, though, is a tricky piece of business. For every commercial success like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider or the Resident Evil series, there are a whole lot of forgettable duds like Doom and Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. But Ubisoft and Fox are bullish on the fi lm, and plans are already in the works for an ongoing franchise.

Assassin’s Creed, which jumps back and forth in time between the present day and the Spanish Inquisition, is attempting a tricky balancing act — simultaneously treating the game that inspired it with what Fassbender, who is also producing the fi lm, calls “a healthy

dose of respect and disrespect.”On the one hand, the movie is

trying to capture what hard-core gamers have loved about the many Assassin’s Creed games, which have sold more than 80mn copies and spawned a number of spinoff comics and novels. On the other, it’s trying to tell an engrossing original story that stands on its own even if you’ve never even laid a fi nger on a game controller. (With Fassbender and costars Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Irons, it’s safe to say the Assassin’s Creed cast boasts more Oscar nominations and wins than any previous video game adaptation.)

Like Fassbender, director Justin Kurzel had never played the game before signing on to the project. Nor, for that matter, had the Australian fi lmmaker — who previously directed Fassbender and Cotillard in last year’s Macbeth — ever made a fi lm on this scale,

with this degree of action, special eff ects and stunt work. “That’s probably what attracted me to it — how frightening it was,” he said last week by phone from London, where he is in postproduction on the fi lm, which cost more than $150mn to produce.

Rather than try to replicate the fi rst-person gaming experience with fi lmmaking gimmickry, Kurzel locked into the characters and the narrative, exploring the idea of genetic memory as well as the rich, volatile history of the Spanish Inquisition.

“I spent most of my time with the story and the real history,” Kurzel said. “That was my main focus — not so much forensically going through every aspect of the game. It was: How do you make this into a piece of cinema?”

If Assassin’s Creed works on those cinematic terms — and, of course, on box-offi ce terms — the

plan is to follow it with sequels that will roam through history like the game series, which has ventured into such periods as the Crusades, the Renaissance, the American Colonial era and the French Revolution.

“The possibilities are kind of endless,” Kurzel said. “When we’ve been discussing where you could take it, you’re not sitting around twiddling your thumbs.”

“That’s what’s so intriguing for people who love that universe,” said Fassbender, who added that the arc of a potential Assassin’s Creed trilogy has been sketched out.

“I was talking to a friend recently and he said he was talking to his 14-year-old son about going away on a long weekend together. He said, ‘Where do you want to go?’ and his son said, ‘I want to go to Florence.’ He wanted to check out the city because of the game.” — Los Angeles Times/TNS

The game movesto the big screen

Michael Fassbender takes up the sword in Assassin’s Creed. Can it spawn a film series?


COMMUNITYHOLLYWOOD

FAMILY FIRST: Mia Wasikowska

MAKING A POINT: Jodie Foster

HIGH HOPES: Chris Daughtry

Hollywood’s current obsession with big-budget “tentpoles” is holding the movie business back when

it comes to creating more fi lms by and for women, actress-fi lmmaker Jodie Foster said at the ongoing 69th annual Cannes Film Festival.

“They’ll make enormous movies tentpole fi lms and they’ll be all in, kind of like a casino bet. That’s a really dangerous bet,” Foster said at variety.com and Kering’s ‘Women in Motion’ talk last week.

“Studio executives are scared, period. This is the most risk averse time that I can remember in movie history,” she added.

In this climate of fear, executives

are more likely to lean on what is familiar. “You’re going to go with the guy that looks like you,” she said.

Foster, whose fi lm Money Monster will be premiered at the fi lm fest, believes that things have improved. Not only are more women directing movies or editing fi lms, but the sets have become more professional as they grow more diverse.

“I saw the faces change as time went on,” Foster said.

“Everything changed when women came onto sets... It felt more like a family... Movie sets became healthier,” she added.

The fi lm will release in India by Sony Pictures on May 15. — IANS

Studios are scared of women: Jodie Foster

No anger trouble for Danny McBride

Actor Danny McBride, who has voiced the volatile character Bomb in The Angry Birds Movie, says he has never been angry in his life. McBride is known for his stand-up comedy and impeccable comic timing. And now he will be heard as a bird named Bomb, who explodes when he gets excited or can’t handle the anger within him.

“He has an explosive personality and explodes when he gets angry. He wants to improve. He’s embarrassed that he can’t control his anger, and he wants to focus it. Bomb is actually a pretty laid-back, fun-loving guy, but any little thing can set him off ,” McBride said in a statement. Asked how he deals with anger, he said: “I’ve never been angry in my life.”

The Angry Birds Movie hits the screens on May 27. Taking the basic structure of Rovio Entertainment’s mobile game of the same name, the fi lm brings the story of Red and his friends onto the silver screen in a hilarious manner. In the game, angry but cute little birds fi ght it out with animals who have stolen their eggs. In the fi lm, the birds will get angry, they will seek revenge, they will vow to save their world but with traces of comedy. The fi lm is supported by Jason Sudeikis as Red, Josh Gad as speedy Chuck, Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph as Matilda, and Peter Dinklage as the Mighty Eagle. – IANS

Sharon is still the boss: OsbourneBlack Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne says his

estranged wife Sharon Osbourne is still “the boss” as the former couple made their fi rst public appearance together since their recent split.

Sharon kicked Ozzy out of their Los Angeles home amid reports that he had been sleeping with hairdresser Michelle Pugh but she remains his business manager.

They recently reunited at the Los Angeles Palladium for a press conference where Sharon supported Ozzy by announcing the merging of their annual music festival Ozzfest and American metal band Slipknot’s music

festival Knotfest. “Our wives have been very important to us,” Ozzy told eonline.com.

When asked if she is “still the boss,” he replied, “Oh, yeah”. — IANS

Adam Lambert ‘fl oored’ by Rihanna

Singer Adam Lambert says he was fl oored after watching singer Rihanna perform live. Lambert caught Rihanna’s show in Detroit and says her singing skills blew him away, reports femalefi rst.co.uk.

Speaking on TV show The Hot Desk, Lambert said: “I like Rihanna’s Instagram page because she’s so fun to look at. She’s so gorgeous. I went to her concert in Detroit a few weeks ago. It was the night before I had a concert there.

“I knew it was going to be a great show anyway because I know the songs, but I was blown away. It was such a good show... the design and everything was really gorgeous and she delivered some vocals! I was fl oored... I was really impressed, actually.” — IANS

COOL CUSTOMER: Danny McBride

American Idol will be back: Chris Daughtry

Musician-actor Chris Daughtry is convinced that popular reality talent show American Idol, which bid adieu in April after 15 seasons, will be back in a diff erent form. The Daughtry frontman, who stood fourth on the fi fth season of the show, thinks that the makers of the show “will repackage it another way”, reports bangshowbiz.com.

“From the day that they said they were cancelling, I’ve said that I think that they will repackage it another way. My theory is that it’s coming through,” Daughtry said.

The 36-year-old rocker returned to the show for a “bittersweet” appearance on the fi nal episode and felt very “proud” to be back.

“It was cool to be back, I was happy to be a part of the last episode. I’m proud of the history I have with the show. Always happy to be back. It was bittersweet,” he said about his appearance on the fi nale show. — IANS

Mia Wasikowska wants more time with family

Actress Mia Wasikowska wishes she could spend more time with her family. The 26-year-old is kept away from home for months at a time due to her successful Hollywood career and feels she is missing out on seeing her three nephews and a niece grow up, reports femalefi rst.co.uk.

Speaking at the European premiere of her new movie Alice Through the Looking Glass, Wasikowska told BANG Showbiz: “I have three nephews and a niece and they seem to like rocket forward — I sometimes feel as though it’s too fast!”

Mia was born and raised in Canberra by her parents Marzena Wasikowska and John Reid, and has an older sister Jess and younger brother Kai. Once she is fi nished with her promotional duties for the fi lm, Wasikowska will be going home to meet her family.

“I’m going home soon to see everyone so that will be great,” she said. — IANS


COMMUNITY

Palestinian festival awes Doha visitors

The 2nd Palestinian Heritage Festival showcased some fascinating products,

highlighting why Palestinian art is still an inspiration for many. By Umer Nangiana

Bringing together artisans from diff erent areas of the land of Palestine and showcasing how the ancient art and culture

has survived and thrived in the face of all odds, the 2nd Palestinian Heritage Festival, organised in co-operation with the Palestinian National Friendship Association, recently concluded at Katara Cultural Village.

Displaying both contemporary and traditional art forms, the Palestinian artisans, mostly women, demonstrated their skill level to Doha audience. From embroidered clothes to olive-wood art pieces, the Palestinian artists showed why Palestinian art is still an inspiration for many.

“We established the fi rst factory of aluminium jewellery in Palestine. We can make customised designs of our clients. This jewellery is very light-weight and you can create a lot of designs with it. It is as attractive as Russian and Italian gold. We can create the same eff ect with aluminium,” Sana Jafri, owner of a company in Palestine, told Community.

Her colleague creates designs on olive wood. “This is all handmade at home. I fi rst carve the designs into wood by burning and cutting into it and then apply colours and dyes,” she adds.

The designs are mostly original. She creates whatever came to her mind and at other times she gets ideas from internet as well. The smaller artefacts are easy to make but the bigger pieces like photo frames and decoration pieces take time as they require colouring. Colour takes time to dry. But she does it all by herself at home.

Khalid Natsheh’s family has been into leather business for decades. Coming from Jerusalem, he brought with him leather bags and cases. “This is pure leather coming from the old city of Jerusalem. I have bags for men, women both professionals and students. I sell laptop bags, hand bags, document carriers and others,” says Natsheh.

“I have created all designs. I have this business in my family. My father and my brothers are also involved in it and we have been doing it for a very long time. The business back in Jerusalem is good because a lot of people buy these bags for their offi ce use or for keeping their laptops,” he adds.

It was his fi rst time coming to Qatar and he found people here “very nice.” “We got a lot of tourists and they really liked my products,” adds Natsheh.

Manal Jarrar and her colleagues are hoping to fi nd an avenue for expanding their olive products business here in Qatar, and elsewhere. They produce and package all the traditional Palestinian food from the City of Jenin at their home-based production centre.

“We are a group of women who make these olive products at home. It helps us generate some income for us and support our families. We create a lot of traditional Arab and Palestinian food and then pack them in the jars,” Manal tells us.

These olives are pitted and then dipped in olive oil. These and the zataar come from Jenin, famous

for their taste. From production to packaging and labelling, they do everything by themselves at their homes.

“We create the designs for the labels and then get them printed before putting them on the bottles. The prints are also handmade, all of them. No machine is involved in the process at any time,” says Manal.

She says they have been taking their products to diff erent countries in the region like Kuwait and others. This was their fi rst time in Doha. “I am really encouraged by the response that we received here. People tasted our products and they really liked them,” says the owner of the company.

“We are looking for good business opportunities outside of Palestine as well and we (all women at the company) intend to expand our business further and make this a big

company and I am determined to achieve that,” she adds.

Situated at a crossroads of continents and civilisations, accommodating a number of peoples and empires since the old times, the art and artisan work of Palestine depicts an infusion of multiple cultural infl uences while maintaining its own individuality.

Bringing a piece of this rich cultural heritage, men and women artisans from diff erent areas of Palestine have come to town to showcase the rich and colourful Palestinian heritage through traditional clothes, food and arts.

From the centuries-old art of pottery-making, living for generations with the people of Palestine, to the more contemporary art of Silver Olive Leaf Jewellery, the festival presented artefacts that are unique to Palestine.

The traditional designs in aluminium jewellery created by Sana Jafri and her colleagues.

HOME-MADE: Manal Jarrar and other women make these products at home and sell them in open markets. Photos by Umer Nangiana

d c—39 c today puzzles lifestyle oroscope silent rage

Documents