THURSDAY 30 MARCH 2017

CAMPUS | 4 HEALTH | 8 BOLLYWOOD | 11Marathon running may cause kidney

injury

Email: dohatoday@pen.com.qa

WOOD | 11

HERITAGE MEETS ART

‘Heritage, Art and Embroidery’, a three-day exhibition held in Doha, showcased the rich Palestinian heritage. It featured the works of Inaash Association from Lebanon and it was sponsored by SIIL.

P | 2-3

DPS-MIS attends ‘DIAMUN 2017’

conference in Dubai

Manoj Bajpayee expresses displeasure about the world

COVER STORY THURSDAY 30 MARCH 201702

The Peninsula

The amazing art of cross stitch-ing to create table cloths, wall hangings or portraits has a

rich heritage of its own. The cen-tury-old unique Palestinian embroidery also holds a rich tradi-tional heritage and for the first time an outstanding exhibition of hand-made embroidery designs combining the wealthy Palestinian heritage and art was held in Doha recently.

‘Heritage, Art and Embroidery’, the three-day exhibition at the May-saloun Hall, Gate Mall, under the auspices of Salam International Investment Limited (SIIL), a lead-ing Doha based conglomerate with a reach across the GCC, Oman, Leb-anon, Jordan and Palestine, featured the dazzling works by the Inaash Association from Lebanon.

Founded in 1969, Inaash Asso-ciation provides employment for Palestinian refugee women through the preservation and promotion of Palestinian embroidery. With almost 50 years of experience, Inaash has developed a reputation for exquisite products and fine

craftsmanship and is considered to be a leader in its field.

Itself the inheritor of a rich, over 65-year old heritage across five key lines of business – construction, oil and gas, technology, real estate, retail and hospitality – SIIL is

hosting the exhibition to reflect the art and artistry of Palestinian embroidery over more than a cen-tury. It represented a unique visual

‘language’ through which colour, symbol and motif conveyed geog-raphy, status, tribe or class. With a

mere glance one woman could dif-ferentiate herself from another by the patterns on her dress. This non-verbal form of communication spoke volumes to an entire nation and came to represent the living heritage of that nation in exile.

Expo showcases rich Palestinian heritage

COVER STORYTHURSDAY 30 MARCH 2017 03Drawing on its significant

archive of samples dating back over a century, Inaash’s in-house design-ers work alongside local and international artists and designers to adapt these traditional motifs and patterns to the 21st century aes-thetic, and to capture the imagination of the discerning con-temporary buyer across continents.

The show included silk coats and jackets, signature shawls embroidered on hand woven najaf wool fabric or silk, najafabayas and jackets, contemporary clutch bags, tableware and a large range of cushions all based on traditional Palestinian patterns, colours and motifs.

It also included collaborations with Lebanese designers Nada Zeineh and Nafissa.

A special feature of the Doha exhibition was large sized panels, two based on a series of intricate chest panels and others from Inaash’s vintage collection.

Inaash previously exhibited in international museums. In cooper-ation with the world famous installation artist Mona Hatoum, the Inaash project The Twelve Win-dows has been exhibited in Hatoum’s retrospective at Pompi-dou Centre and Tate Modern, and in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Houston, The Kunstmuseum, St Galen, Switzerland, and Alexan-der and Bonin Gallery New York. Other exhibitions include Al Sadu

House Museum Kuwait, and inWashington, New York, Los Ange-les, London, Paris, Bahrain, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

In addition, the Palestinian art-ist Salim Asi performed a live graffiti painting during the opening of the exhibition. He presented through this painting a technical message that expresses the concerns and suf-fering of the Palestinians and

remains the cornerstone of the Pal-estinian cause.

Moreover, the Palestinian sto-ryteller and specialist in the literature of the child, Dennis Asaad, was a wonderful guest for the open-ing and she narrated a Palestinian folk tale in its own way that touched the hearts of the masses and brought it back to the memories of the past and the beautiful

homeland. By sponsoring this exhibition in

Qatar, SIIL raised awareness of the importance of Palestinian embroi-dery as the living visual heritage of a nation, and in so doing, it reflects its own entrepreneurial drive and its philosophy of best practice underpinned by exceptional regional expertise, enhanced by local knowledge.

CAMPUS THURSDAY 30 MARCH 201704

A 6-day workshop on ‘Differ-entiating Instruction’ was conducted by the Birla Pub-

lic School (BPS) from March 18 to 23.

Around 136 primary school teachers participated in the work-shop conducted by Dr Ajit Moorkoth, assistant professor in special edu-cation from India. The workshop was organised by the Compassion-ate Alliance, Doha.

The workshop used differenti-ation procedures so that teachers , who were present, received first-hand experience in differentiating instruction for all their students in

classroom. The 6-day workshop engaged teachers in practical work on differentiating lesson content, teaching strategies and demonstra-tion of learning outcomes in all children.

Teachers discussed the princi-ples of universal designs for learning and creation of brain-compatible classrooms and finally rearranged a classroom based on these princi-ples. One hundred and thirty six teachers of various primary schools took part in the intensive training and on the final day their group work was displayed for other teach-ers to see.

Workshop on ‘Differentiating Instruction’ held at BPS

DPS-MIS attended Dubai International Academy Model United Nations (DIAMUN) conference from March 15 to 18. The conference hosted more than 1,000 students from 45 different schools, discussing

pressing Global Issues centred on the theme of the conference “Interna-tional Response to Global Conflict”.

The delegation of DPS-MIS comprised of 20 students accompanied by MUN directors, Marie Luthra and Aamir Khan. The students took part in extensive debates on complex world issues that helped develop their ana-lytical as well as leadership skills.

The students of DPS-MIS displayed their debating skills in their respec-tive committees, evident from the “Best Delegate” award won by Safwan Shaikh of class XII-E in the General Assembly 3 which comprised of more than 140 delegates. The principal congratulated the students on their out-standing performance and wished them the best.

DPS-MIS attends ‘DIAMUN 2017’ conference in Dubai

COMMUNITY THURSDAY 30 MARCH 2017 05

InterContinental Doha The City joined the global ‘Earth Hour’ movement on the March 25 from

8:30pm to 9:30pm by switching off lights in the hotel lobby, restaurants, exteriors and signages.

Team members joined together for a candle lighting activity in the lobby and guests were encouraged to join and to also contribute to the movement at home.

Restaurant guests appreciated the ‘candlelit dinner’ concept as they applauded the action. An approximate of 1,360 kilowatt hours of electricity was saved dur-ing the activity.

Focusing the efforts not just in the hotel, InterContinental Doha

The City Team Members also con-tributed in the colleagues compound. All lights were turned off while team members gathered around for a candle lighting activ-ity in the center.

Other than Earth Hour, Inter-Continental Doha The City constantly works to give back to the environment in various ways. Aligned with the global initiative of IHG (InterContinental® Hotels Group), the hotel has heavily been involved with the IHG Green Engage global programme, an industry leading approach to envi-ronmental management and the first hotel specific system of its kind.

Through the cooperation of

guests in minimising water and energy usage, and the installation of aerators to lessen water wastage and LED lights to conserve energy, InterContinental Doha The City is making strives to ensure that sur-roundings are preserved for everyone to enjoy.

While the group target of the initiative is 1% of the reduction of carbon footprints, the Doha prop-erty has managed to achieve 9% in the last year alone as they have greatly reduced our negative impact on the environment and have achieved Level 4 of the IHG® Green Engage, making InterContinental Doha The City a leader in this initiative.

Perfectly situated in the exclu-sive West Bay area, close to all the major areas of interest, the stylish and modern Intercontinental® Doha The City stands tall amidst the action of the city. The hoteloffers 349 luxury guest rooms and suites, as well as 176 residence suites offer-ing various layouts consisting of one to four bedrooms.

InterContinental® Doha The City is located in the heart of the city. With its close proximity to Doha Golf Club, Souq Waqif, Katara Cultural Village and major shop-ping malls, InterContinental® Doha The City is the perfect place for short- or long-term guests to enjoy business or leisure stays.

InterContinental Doha The City joins ‘Earth Hour’

Seventh edition of “Qatar Malayali Conference” will be held in November, as

announced in the organising committee meeting held recently.

The Malayali conferences, which are considered to be one of the biggest gatherings of expa-triate Indian community, are being conducted at regular inter-vals since 1999.

A number of prominent Qatari and Indian personalities including ministers, scholars,

writers and social activists had addressed gatherings in the pre-vious conferences. An organising committee has been formed recently under the patronage of Muhammed Issa to conduct the event.

Muhammed Unni Olakara is the Chairman of the advisory board. SAM Basheer, KK Shanka-ran, CV Rappai, K Abdul Karim, VS Narayanan, Aboobacker Madappad are the patrons of the organising committee whereas

PK Abdulla, KM Varghese, Sharaf P Hameed, Adv Nizar Kochery, Abubacker (Al Muftah), MP Shafi Haji, Devis Edakkulathur, MP Manikandan, KV Abdullakkutty are the advisory council mem-bers. NKM Abdul Kasim is the Chairman of the organising com-mittee. U Husain Muhammed has been elected as the General Cov-enor, K Zainul Abideen, Dr HasanKunji, KK Usman, KN Sulaiman, Dr Abdul Ahad, and NK Salimare the vice-chairpersons.

MT Abdusamad, Joppachan Thek-kekkutt, Dr Sameer Mooppen, SirajIritty, Ali Chalikkara and RiyazVanimel are the conveno-ros. NKM Akbar Kasim presided over the organising committee formation meeting held at Mari-ott Hotel. K Muhammed Issa, Davis Edakkulathur, PK Abdulla, K ZainulAbideen, Abdul Nasar Nachi, Joppachan Thekkekkutt, KN Sulaiman, U Husain Muhammed, and MT Abdussamad spoke on the occasion.

Qatar Malayali Conference in November

CAMPUS THURSDAY 30 MARCH 201706

DeBakey senior students have begun their hospital rotation training at Hamad General

Hospital (HGH). The initial orienta-tion was led by Dr M Omar Al Zaghmount, Assc./Director Medi-cal Education of Hamad Medical Corporation. During the rotational period, students will gain practical experience within different clinical settings in order to explore the var-ious areas of a working hospital.

This experience allows students to see what best suits their area of interest and skill set. Students will be rotating for six weeks at Hamad Hospital; accordingly, this experi-ence exposes them to direct patient care and clinical procedures.

As future doctors, they will be able to decide the specialty they are most interested in during their rota-tions. In addition, they can envision how they can contribute to medi-cal development and practice.

Due to the consistent exposure to the medical field, DeBakey

students have high acceptance rate to international medical pro-grammes, such as Weill Cornell

Medical College – Qatar. The rota-tional programme is a yearly occurrence, along with other

medical center visits and hands-on application of the courses taught at DeBakey High School – Qatar.

DeBakey students start rotation at HGH

COMMUNITY / MARKETPLACETHURSDAY 30 MARCH 2017 07

The St. Regis Doha, the finest address in Qatar, hosted its staff members to an appre-

ciation dinner and entertainment night on March 27 as part of their ongoing 5th anniversary celebra-tions and to commemorate the staff who are celebrating 5 years with the property.

The special occasion presented staff members with the opportu-nity to have their hard work and dedication acknowledged, to cel-ebrate the achievements of the hotel and to enjoy quality social time amongst their peers.

In an evening filled of grand moments and special memories, the staff enjoyed the finest food and surroundings to mark this momentous occasion for the hotel, credited to the people that have shaped the success of the hotel that receive the prestigious award of GCC Hotel of the Year in 2016 as well as being awarded one of the best top 100 hotels by Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Travel

Awards 2016On the occasion of celebrat-

ing St. Regis Doha’s 5th Anniversary and appreciating the efforts of all staff members, Tareq Derbas Area General Man-ager of Lebanon, Syria, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq for Marriott Inter-national and General Manager of The St. Regis Doha, said: “We have come a long way since we first started our journey in Qatar and majority of the credit has to go to the constant commitment and enduring hard work of each and every one of our staff mem-bers. Thanks to them, we’re leaders in Qatar’s hospitality industry and they have played a major part towards The St. Regis Doha’s commitment to excel-lence and maintaining our performance standards.”

Qatar’s finest destination turned five during the month of March and has been celebrating its 5th Anniversary on a grand scale with varied room and stay

& wedding packages, pampering spa offerings, exclusive dining offers and social media compe-titions running until April 2017.

For more information about

The St. Regis Doha, or to make a reservation, please contact directly at telephone (974) 4446 0000, via email at reservations.doha@stregis.com or at www.stregisdoha.com

The St. Regis Doha marks 5th anniversary

Indian Sports Centre (ISC), an apex body of the Embassy of India, recently participated in

Qatar Community Festival held prior to the Asia Qualifiers Football World cup 2018 ( Russia ) match between Qatar and Iran at Al Saad Stadium. It was organised by Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy.

Indian community showcased the cultural show of traditional dance ‘Kutchipudi’ by Indian Cul-tural Centre and Zumba dance by lady members of Indian Sports Cen-tre. The India Stall was built showcasing the glimpses of Incred-ible India and based on the theme of Indian Sports along with its leg-acy. Further an Indian cuisine was also provided in the Food court to promote Indian traditional foods which attracted the different expa-triate community at large.

Naser Al Khater, Asstt Secretary General, Tournament affairs ( QFA ) and Fatima Al Noaimi, Director, Communication, Supreme Commit-tee of Delivery & Legacy appreciated the Indian stall and discussed about the future road map of tying up of Indian commu-nity with QFA for their future

events. Indian Sports Centre which has been constituted by Embassy of India to exclusively promote sports and games for all age groups of Indian community assured for long term association with QFA and Supreme committee of Delivery and legacy to support all National and International events .

ISC participates in Qatar community fest Cricket Festival

on April 1

Indian Sports Centre is organ-ising LULU ISC Cricket Festival 2017 on April 1 at

Old Ideal School ground. The exhibition match will be played between Ambassador XII and Indian Sports Centre XII . Vet-eran players from the Indian community will be playing this Festival match to make it spec-tacular . The Festival match is having attractive prizes includ-ing air tickets Doha – Dubai

– Doha . Indian Ambassador P Kumaran will be leading the Ambassador XII team as Cap-tain. The match will start at 5pm and the prize distribution cer-emony will be at 8pm.

HEALTH THURSDAY 30 MARCH 201708

IANS

Gearing up for a marathon race? Beware, the physical stress caused by running

may cause kidney injury, research-ers, led by one of Indian-origin, have warned.

In the study, 82 percent of the runners had Stage 1 Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) soon after the race. AKI is a condition in which the kidneys fail to filter waste from the blood.

The researchers stated that potential causes of the marathon-related kidney damage could be the sustained rise in core body temper-ature, dehydration or decreased blood flow to the kidneys that occurs during a marathon.

“The kidney responds to the physical stress of marathon running as if it’s injured, in a way that’s sim-ilar to what happens in hospitalised patients when the kidney is affected by medical and surgical

complications,” said Chirag Parikh, Professor at Yale University in Con-necticut, US.

Although kidneys of the exam-ined runners fully recovered within two days post-marathon, the study raises questions about potential long-term impacts of this strenu-ous activity at a time when marathons are increasing in popu-larity, the researchers said in the paper published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.

Previous studies have shown there are also changes in heart function associated with marathon running. For the study, the team analysed participants who took part in the 2015 Hartford Marathon. The team collected blood and urine samples before and after the 26.2-mile or 42-km event. They analysed a variety of markers of kidney injury, including serum creatinine levels, kidney cells on microscopy and proteins in urine.

Marathon running may cause kidney injury

Researchers have found why at around the age of four children sud-

denly do what three-year-olds are unable to do -- put them-selves in someone else’s shoes.

This enormous develop-mental step occurs as a critical fibre connection in the brain matures, according to a study published in the journal Nature Communications.

For the study, the research team from Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (MPI CBS) in Leipzig, Germany and Leiden University in the Netherlands ana-lysed MRI data and behavioural data of 43 normally developing 3- and 4-year-old children.

“Our findings show that the emergence of mental state representation is related to the maturation of core belief processing regions and their connection to the prefrontal cortex,” said the researchers. The study showed that maturation of fibres of a brain structure called the arcuate fascicle between the ages of three and four years establishes a connection

between two critical brain regions.One region is at the back of the temporal

lobe that supports adult thinking about oth-ers and their thoughts, and the other is in the frontal lobe that is involved in keeping things at different levels of abstraction and, there-fore, helps us to understand what the real world is and what the thoughts of others are. Only when these two brain regions are con-nected through the arcuate fascicle can children start to understand what other peo-ple think, the study said.

Interestingly, this new connection in the brain supports this ability independently of other cognitive abilities, such as intelligence, language ability or impulse control.

We learn to understand others after age 4

Higher exposure of lead in childhood may affect brain health and disrupt cognitive development, researchers

say. Lead is a powerful neurotoxin that can accumulate in a child’s bloodstream, then set-tle in the bones, teeth and soft tissues and build up in the body.

This toxin can damage the developing nervous system in young children. The find-ings, published by JAMA, showed that children with more than 10 micrograms of lead per decilitre of blood at age 11 had 4.25 points lower intelligence quotients (IQ) at age 38. For each five-microgram increase in childhood blood lead, a person lost about 1.5 IQ points by age 38, causing lower cognitive function when they were adults.

Further, childhood blood lead level was also associated with lower adult socioeco-nomic status, reflecting downward social mobility following childhood lead exposure.

“The results indicate that childhood expo-sures to lead can be linked with cognitive and socioeconomic outcomes detectable more than three decades later,” said Aaron Reuben, from Duke University in North Carolina, US.

Higher exposure

of lead may lower IQ

FOOD THURSDAY 30 MARCH 201710Bonnie S Benwick The Washington Post

Sometimes, you just have to trust a chef’s instincts - as in the case of this salad, topped or strewn with just-sauteed

fish. It works, thanks to the concert composed of parsnip and carrot sweetness, the yielding frill of slightly wilted kale and a simple vinaigrette.

The chef is Britain’s Nathan Outlaw, and the dish comes from his second cookbook, “Everyday Seafood” (Quadrille, April 2017). It’s worth a look for those who are keen to venture beyond salmon, tuna, shrimp and crab, although those are certainly given their due.

Rockfish was looking good the day we went shopping; the crispy skin provides a bonus textural ele-ment here. But just about any white-fleshed fish fillets will do.

Rockfish, Kale and Parsnip Salad

2 to 3 servingsServe with garlic bread.Adapted from “Everyday Sea-

food: From the Simplest Fish to a Seafood Feast, 100 Recipes for Home Cooking,” by Nathan Outlaw (Quadrille, 2017).

Ingredients3 slices of chicken1 large parsnip1 large carrot1 clove garlic8 ounces (half a bunch) curly

kaleKosher or sea saltFreshly ground black pepper2 tablespoons unsalted butter12 ounces rockfish fillets, pref-

erably skin-on (may substitute other white-fleshed fish)

4 stems flat-leaf parsley1/2 lemon

1/2 teaspoon honeyExtra-virgin olive oil

StepsLine a plate with a few layers

of paper towels. Cut the chicken crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces, then place it in a wok or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet; cook for about 6 minutes over medium-high heat, until crisped.

Meanwhile, trim and peel the parsnip and carrot. Use a chef’s knife to cut them into matchsticks. Cut the garlic into thin slivers. Strip the leaves from the kale stems; tear the leaves into large pieces and cut the stems into 1/2-inch pieces.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to the paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off all but a tablespoon or two of the rendered

chicken fat and return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the pars-nip and carrot, kale stem pieces and garlic; season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir-fry for a minute or so, then transfer to a mixing bowl.

Add half the butter to the skillet (over medium-high heat); add the kale leaves and use tongs to toss for about 30 seconds, just until coated but not so long that the leaves will be wilted. Transfer to the bowl with the parsnip mixture.

Season the fish lightly with salt and pepper on both sides. Add the remaining butter to the skillet (over medium-high heat). Once it melts, add the fish, skin sides down; cook for a few minutes (pressing with a spatula to keep the fillets from curl-ing under), just until opaque, then gently turn the fillets. Remove from

the heat; the holdover heat of the pan should finish cooking the fish.

Finely chop the parsley leaves. Use a Microplane grater to zest the lemon half into the bowl of vege-tables, then squeeze the juice into a liquid measuring cup. Add the honey and a drizzle of oil; season lightly with salt and pepper, then use a fork to whisk together a well-blended dressing.

To assemble, pour that dress-ing into the bowl of vegetables. Add the crisped chicken pieces and the parsley; toss gently to coat.

Divide between individual plates. Place a fillet, skin side up, on each portion, or first break it up with your fingers and scatter the fish over each portion. Serve right away. Ingredients are too variable for a meaningful analysis.

Salad makes a nice base for the best available fish

BOLLYWOODTHURSDAY 30 MARCH 2017 11

IANS

Actor Arfi Lamba who has appeared in films like

“Slumdog Millionaire”, “Fugly” and “Singh Is Bliing”, will be performing his popular play “The Devdasi - Nothing is Everything” in Paris and Berlin later this year.

“I play the lead role of a king in the play. It is a negative character, which is something that I have never done before,” Lamba said in a statement.

“I am so excited that after per-forming in India now we will be spreading our roots in Paris and Berlin as well and we will be per-forming on international stage,” added Arfi, who will perform in the cities in June.

Further talking about the play, director Sunny Bhambhani said:

“For the West, it’s important that the content be culturally local and emotionally universal. So when I was writing ‘Devadasi’, it cohe-sively had all the elements to reach

out to a global audience. Bhamb-hani added: “Culturally the production is rooted in Indian ethos of temples, palaces, religion and classical Indian dances. The West has always been intrigued with India for their palace stories, dance culture and the mysticism sur-rounding religion and God.

“This is exactly what resonated with the theatre guys in the west and we had a couple of queries from Paris and Berlin for the production.”

Arfi Lamba to perform his play in Paris & Berlin

A Bengali film that deals with the plight of people post-demonetisation has been

referred by the Kolkata regional office of the Central Board of Film Certification to the board’s chair-man Pahlaj Nihalani for a decision on certification. The Kolkata office of the censor board in it’s intimation to “Shunyota”

(“Emptiness”) makers has cited “differences of opinion among members of the (examining) com-mittee regarding certification” as a reason to refer it to the chair-man for the decision on certification.

“The film was scheduled to release on tomorrow. We were informed on Tuesday that

committee members couldn’t take a call regarding category of cer-tification. I think it has got to do with the fact that it goes against demonetisation... there cant be any other reason,” director Suv-endu Ghosh said. He claimed his film was the first on demonetisa-tion. “We urge the chairman to clear the film,” he said.

Film on demonetisation referred to board

National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee has revealed that he and his wife Neha Baj-payee like to “bitch” about the world over tea.

Manoj appeared on TV show “Yaar Mera Super-star Season 2” along with his “Naam Shabana” co-star Taapsee Pannu.

On the show, Manoj revealed that he wakes up at 5am every morning. “Yeah, when I get up, the world is sleeping, my family is sleeping. The only thing I’m told is that no matter what time you get up, don’t dis-turb us. So, I tip-toe out of the room. Two things I do

-- first is clean the temple and then make myself some tea. Then I do meditation and immediately leave for running,” Manoj said.

“Then I do weights and by the time I’m back, at least my wife is awake. Then we have tea together and we bitch about the world together. Usually what happens is like right now a lot is being talked about nepotism, so we say what is all this, then on the London attack, so we talk about it in general. Bitch about the

terrorists,” he added. Directed by Shivam Nair, “Naam Shabana”, which also features Akshay Kumar, Prith-viraj Sukumaran, Anupam Kher and Danny Denzongpa, is slated to release on Friday.

The episode of the show featuring Manoj and Taapsee will be aired on Zoom channel on Saturday.

Manoj Bajpayee expresses displeasure about the world

The 14th edition of Ekam Satt — One Truth, One Human-ity — a musical

extravaganza celebrating world music will be held here on April 6. Conceptualised and orchestrated by Ameya Dabli, the event, with an aim to spread the message of love and unity across cultures glo-bally, will see performances by singer Devaki Pandit and flautist Rakesh Chaurasiya, read a state-ment from the organiser.

Mumbai to host world music event in April

Singer Guru Randhawa’s song “Suit” is set to feature in the Irrfan Khan starrer

“Hindi Medium”.“’Suit’ garnered lot of appre-

ciation and love from the audience, and it gives me immense happiness to start my Bollywood journey with such a wonderful track. ‘Hindi Medium’ posed a perfect and appropriate opportunity to showcase my song and ensure that the beau-tiful track reaches the global audience. It gives me immense pleasure to be a part of this project,” Randhawa said.

‘Suit’ to feature in

‘Hindi Medium’

HOLLYWOOD THURSDAY 30 MARCH 201712

AFP

Some of Hollywood’s biggest movie studios took centre stage at the CinemaCon yes-

terday — wheeling out a vast array of stars to promote their upcoming slates of blockbusters.

Historic “major” Paramount competed with new kid on the block STX for the loudest applause at the annual Las Vegas gathering for the “exhibition community” of theater operators and audio and visual tech innovators.

And while Disney traditionally keeps back most of its juciest sur-prises for its own D23 Expo, the studio treated delegates to a world premiere of the latest “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie, “Dead Men Tell No Tales.”

Hollywood decamps to the Nevada desert for four days every year, taking over the iconic Caesar’s Palace hotel to show theater oper-ators what they can expect to be

making their money from over the following 12 to 24 months.

Numerous stars, including Jes-sica Chastain, Aaron Sorkin, Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis took to the stage to discuss upcoming projects in various stages of development.

Wahlberg introduced action flick “Mile 22” saying he hoped it would be “the thing that defines me,” while Kunis chatted about mother-hood and the sequel to smash-hit

“Bad Moms,” due for release in November. Oscar nominee Chastain stars in “Molly’s Game” as Molly Bloom, a real-life skier who lost out on her Olympic dream and became an organiser of underground poker games for the Hollywood elite.

“I like that the film explores female power and what that means in soci-ety,” said Chastain, who got to meet Bloom during production. It was a busy day for Wahlberg, who was among a role call of A-listers enlisted

in Paramount’s afternoon presenta-tion at a packed Colisseum theatre.

The studio launched its two-hour extravaganza with Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron fronting the segment for “Baywatch” -- the upcoming big screen adaptation of the popular 1990s lifeguard show.

Surrounded by 20 scantily clad models in “Baywatch” beachwear,

Johnson called up Efron, Jon Bass, Alexandria Daddario and Priyanka Chopra, and declared: “I give you the Avengers of the Beach, Team Baywatch.” George Clooney, Matt Damon and Julianne Moore took to the stage to present footage from

“Suburbicon,” providing the first genuinely comedic moment of the afternoon.

Studios sprinkle stardust on CinemaCon

Legendary sci-fi director Luc Besson (pictured) revealed he has been thinking about mak-

ing his latest film “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” since he was 10. The 58-year-old French auteur has made a string of iconic hits, including “The Fifth Element,”

“Leon: The Professional,” “Lucy” and “Nikita.”

But he said his upcoming movie has been a passion project since he began reading the serialized 1960s comics from Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mezieres on which it is based. “There was no Internet, no YouTube, nothing and you had to wait a week to get two more pages,” he told delegates at the CinemaCon gathering of movie theater opera-tors in Las Vegas.

“I got totally addicted... It was so cool at the time, really new and I never stopped thinking about it.”

Besson believed a movie based on a comic about just two human characters and 1,000 aliens would

be impossible, he told the audience at Caesar’s Palace.

“But then this gentleman, this young director James Cameron -- you’ve heard of him? -- he just made these techniques possible after ‘Avatar.’ Thanks to him now, the imagination is the limit,” Besson added. The $180m “Valerian” -- which comes out on July 21— centres on a dark force threatening Alpha, a vast metropolis and home to spe-cies from a thousand planets.

Blacks ops agents Valerian (Dean DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard the universe.

The audience was treated to a new trailer, a surreal but self-aware fever dream in vivid 3-D featuring a huge, drooling CGI dog-like mon-ster that rips a bus apart, as well of plenty of large Zen-like aliens and desert vistas with echoes of Mad Max.

“I grew up loving Luc’s movies from when I was a kid. This is my biggest

dream,” said 24-year-old British fashion model-turned-actress Delevingne (“Paper Towns”).

Adam Fogelson, studio head of Hollywood newcomer STX, intro-duced “Valerian” as part of a slate of its upcoming movies building on an impressive portfolio of 10 releases in its first two years in busi-ness. An array of stars, including Jessica Chastain, Aaron Sorkin, Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis took to the stage to discuss upcoming projects in various stages of development.

‘Valerian’ was childhood dream: Besson

Actress Natalie Portman has been roped in to star as a

bull rider in upcoming film “Bronco Belle”. Directed by Anna Rose Holmer, the movie will talk about female empowerment, reports aceshowbiz.com.

“Bronco Belle” tells the story of Raylene Jackson (Portman), a

“stubborn but vulnerable and determined American woman” with dreams of champion bull rid-ing. She then struggles to do her best to be taken seriously in the male-dominated sport and she won’t let any chauvinists let her-self down. This is not the first time when Portman would be work-ing with Holmer. She earlier starred in a Holmer-directed music video for James Blake’s song “My willing heart”. The video features Portman showing off her pregnant figure underwater.

Natalie Portman

to next portray

bull rider

BABY BLUES

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE

This Spin-off from Baby (2015) provides the back-story of intelligence

agent Shabana, and chronicles how she becomes a spy.Note: Programme is subject to change without prior notice.

NAAM SHABANA

NOVO — Pearl ROYAL PLAZA

ASIAN TOWN

MALL

LANDMARK

Get Out (2D/Horror) 10:30am, 12:45, 3:00, 5:15, 7:30, 9:45, 11:55pm & 12:00midnightSmurfs: The Lost Village (Animation) 3D 10:00am, 2:00, 6:00 & 10:00pm 2D 12:00noon, 4:00, 8:00, 11:50pmChips (2D/Action) 10:15am, 12:30, 2:45, 3:00, 5:00, 7:15, 7:30, 9:30 & 11:45pm Power Rangers (2D/Action) 11:00am, 4:00 & 9:00pmKong: Skull Island (2D/Action) 1:30, 6:30 & 11:30pmLife (2D/Thriller) 10:30am, 2:50, 7:10 & 11:30pm Autobahn (2D/Action) 12:40, 5:00 & 9:20pm Killing Ground (2D/Thriller) 10:15am, 4:10 & 10:10pm El Qerd Beytkalem (2D/Arabic) 12:05, 6:00pm & 12:00midnight Daylight’s End (2D) 2:00 & 8:00pm Logan (2D/Action) 10:25am, 3:00, 7:35pm & 12:00midnight 30 Days of 3Izz (2D/Arabic) 1:00, 5:35 & 10:10pm Sleepless (2D/Action) 10:00am, 2:30pm & 12:00midnight Beauty And The Beast Kong (2D IMAX/Fantasy) 10:00am, 2:45, 7:30pm & 12:00midnight 2D 12:00noon, 4:30, 7:00 & 9:30pm Life (2D IMAX/Horror) 12:35, 5:20 & 10:00pm

Honey Bee 2 (2D/Malayalam) 2:30 & 8:00pm Beauty & The Beast (2D/Family) 2:15 & 7:00pm Chips (2D/Action) 4:30 & 11:15pmSmurfs: The Lost Village (2D/Animation) 2:30, 4:00 & 5:45pm 30 Days of 3Izz (2D/Arabic) 5:00pm Daylight’s End (2D/Action) 7:00 & 10:30pmNorthern Lights: A Journey To Love (2D/Tagalog) 6:15pm Guru (2D/Telugu) 9:00pm Get Out (2D/Horror) 9:15pm Power Rangers (2D/Action) 9:15pm Killing Ground (2D/Thriller) 11:30pm

Naam Shabana (2D/Hindi) 2:30 & 11:00pmSmurfs: The Lost Village (2D/Animation) 2:15, 3:45 & 5:30pm Honey Bee 2 (2D/Malayalam) 5:00pm Northern Lights: A Journey To Love (2D/Tagalog) 7:30pm Killing Ground (2D/Thriller) 9:15pm Beauty & The Beast (2D/Family) 2:30pm Get Out (2D/Horror) 5:00 & 11:00pm Guru (2D/Telugu) 7:00pm Chips (2D/Action) 7:15 & 11:15pm 30 Days of 3Izz (2D/Arabic) 9:00pm Daylight’s End (2D/Action) 9:30pm

Smurfs: The Lost Village (2D/Animation) 2:30, 4:15 & 6:00pm Honey Bee 2 (2D/Malayalam) 2:30, 8:30 & 10:45pm Northern Lights: A Journey To Love (2D/Tagalog) 7:45pmBeauty & The Beast (2D/Family) 2:00 & 6:30pmPower Rangers 4:15pm Chips (2D/Action) 5:00 & 8:45pm30 Days of 3Izz (2D/Arabic) 6:45pm Killing Ground (2D/Thriller) 9:30pm Get Out (2D/Horror) 11:00pm Daylight’s End (2D/Action) 11:15pm

Honey Bee 2 (Malayalam) 3:15, 6:00, 8:45 & 11:30pm & 01:45am Kavan (Tamil) 12:30, 6:15pm & 01:45pm Dora (Tamil) 12:30, 3:30, 11:00pm & 01:45am Guru (Telugu) 12:30 & 3:15pm Naam Shabana (Hindi) 6:00 & 11:30pm Ezra (Malayalam) 12:30, 3:15, 6:00, 8:45, 11:30pm & 01:45am

THURSDAY 30 MARCH 2017

VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER

CINEMA PLUS 13

AL KHORSmurfs 11:00am, 1:00 & 3:00pm Ezra 11:30am, 5:00, 8:00 & 11:00pm Kavan 10:30am, 5:15 & 11:00pm Dora 2:30 & 8:15pm Honey Bee 2 1:15 & 11:30pm Chips 4:00 & 9:15pm Naam Shabana (Hindi) 6:15pm

ROXYPower Rangers 2:00, 4:30pm Ezra 2:00, 5:00, 8:00 & 11:00pmChips 2:00, 4:15, 6:30, 8:45 & 11:00pm Beauty & The Beast 7:30 & 10:00pm Dora 5:10 & 11:10pm

CROSSWORD CONCEPTIS SUDOKU

ALL IN THE MIND

08:00 News08:30 Witness09:00 Crude Harvest:

Selling Mexico’s Oil

10:30 Inside Story11:30 The Stream12:00 News12:30 Fault Lines13:00 NEWSHOUR14:00 News14:30 Inside Story15:00 Witness16:00 NEWSHOUR17:00 News17:30 The Stream18:00 newsgrid19:00 News19:30 AJEats20:00 News20:30 Inside Story21:00 NEWSHOUR22:00 News22:30 The Stream23:00 India’s Ladycops

13:00 Welcome To The Ronks

14:35 Jessie 16:20 Miraculous

Tales Of Ladybug And Cat Noir

16:45 Elena Of Avalor

17:10 Stuck In The Middle

18:05 Bizaardvark 18:30 Bunk’d 20:15 Star

Darlings 20:20 Shake It

Up 20:45 Backstage 21:35 Cracke 22:05 Best Friends

Whenever 22:50 Sabrina

Secrets Of A Teenage Witch

13:45 Gator Boys14:40 Orangutan

Island15:35 Tanked16:30 Snake

Sheila18:20 Life At Vet

University20:10 Orangutan

Island20:35 Orangutan

Island21:05 Gangland

Killers22:00 Life At Vet

University22:55 Gator Boys23:50 Snake

Sheila00:45 Bondi Vet01:40 Life At Vet

University02:35 Tanked03:25 Orangutan

Island

13:05 How Do They Do It?

13:30 Storage Hunters

14:20 Alaska: The Last Frontier

15:10 Venom Hunters

16:00 Outback Truckers

17:40 Street Outlaws

18:55 How Do They Do It?

19:20 Venom Hunters

20:10 Storage Hunters

21:00 What On Earth?

22:40 The Wheel: Survival Games

23:30 Fast N’ Loud

King Features Syndicate, Inc.

BRAIN TEASERS THURSDAY 30 MARCH 201714

Yesterday’s answer

Conceptis Sudoku: Conceptis Sudoku

is a number-placing puzzle based on a

9×9 grid. The object is to place the

numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so

that each row, each column and each

3×3 box contains the same number

only once.

ADDER, ALLIGATOR, ANACONDA,

ANOLE, ASP, BOA CONSTRICTOR,

BUSHMASTER, CHAMELEON,

COBRA, COPPERHEAD, CORAL

SNAKE, CROCODILE, FLYING

DRAGON, GARTER SNAKE,

GAVIAL, GECKO, GILA MONSTER,

GRASS SNAKE, IGUANA,

KOMODO DRAGON, LIZARD,

MAMBA, MONITOR, PYTHON,

RATTLESNAKE, SKINK, SNAKE,

TEGU, TERRAPIN, TORTOISE,

TUATARA, TURTLE, VIPER,

WATER MOCCASIN.