Graf to play WTT match

MIAMI,

MARCH 30.

Steffi Graf will make a brief return to professional tennis after joining the Houston Wranglers in the first round of Tuesday’s World Team Tennis draft, which also included Anna Kournikova and John McEnroe.

Graf, who won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, will play one home match in July for the Wranglers.

“I am excited to be a part of WTT’s 30th season,” the 35-year-old Graf said. “I have great respect for what Billie Jean King has done for our sport, and her vision of making tennis more fun and accessible to everyone.”

Another Hall of Famer, McEnroe, was the top overall draft pick, going to the New York Sportimes — a team co-owned by his younger brother, U.S. Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe.

Also selected Tuesday were Kournikova (Sacramento Capitals), Boris Becker (Hartford FoxForce), Venus Williams (Delaware Smash), Martina Navratilova (Boston Lobsters), Maria Sharapova (Newport Beach Breakers) and Lindsay Davenport (Springfield Lasers).

The WTT Pro League regular season is from July 4-24; the finals are on Sept. 16-17 in Sacramento. — AP

Hindu On Net

His own space

He played everything from college student, to music guru to romantic hero, in a career that spanned nearly half a century. S.THEODORE BASKARAN looks at some of the best roles of Gemini Ganesan.

THE HINDU PHOTO LIBRARY

A long innings in Tamil cinema — Gemini Ganesan.

GEMINI RAMASWAMY GANESAN left us quite a few insights about Tamil cinema to think about. Despite his long innings on the screen, he never got any National award, not even as a supporting actor. He neither dabbled in politics nor did he nurse a fan club. Is there a link between these? Trying to find his space, when the two giants, MGR and Shivaji, backed by a scaffolding of fan following, were striding the Tamil screen, Gemini eventually established his place — by playing roles that suited him.

A freshness

When you look at the film portrayals by Gemini, there is one characteristic that stands out. Unlike his contemporary stars, he did not come from the stage and, therefore, did not carry the customary excess baggage of stage conventions, of frontal positioning, gesticulations and body language. So there was a freshness in his screen presence He brought subdued acting and understatement to the Tamil screen. The lines he delivered seemed to come straight from the heart rather than from the script book. The dear man’s singularity was that he remained apolitical in his career. The only time when he got any where near politicians was when he organised a function in 1963 for poet Subramania Bharathi at Ettayapuram.

After getting a degree in Chemistry, he worked for a while in the Madras Christian College, Tambaram, as a demonstrator before he got a job as a casting assistant in Gemini Studios. Actor Ranjan’s career was on the wane at that time and with the good will of the boss S.S.Vasan, Ganesan slid into the screen. Fresh-faced and heart-breakingly handsome, he made his debut in the film “Miss Malini” (1947), at a time when the medium he helped to grow itself was young. This was followed by a number of small roles including a cameo appearance in “Avvaiyar” (1953), as the King of Tirukovilur who marries the daughters of Paari.

But it was in “Missiamma” (1955) — where he donned the delightful role of a teacher, a Hindu, who pretends to be married to a teacher, a Christian, to be able to rent a place to live — that established him. This charming film ensured a place for him and the heroine, Savithiri, a place in the film firmament. The pair won the hearts of filmgoers with enduring duets like “Varayo Vennilaave”.

His career peaked in the late 1950s and 1960s with films like “Vanjikottai Valiban” (1958).

His role in “Kanavanae Kankanda Deivam” (1955), particularly his portrayal of the hunchback, evidently inspired by the film “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1939) brought him fame and popularity. In “Kalam Mari Pochu” (1956), a film with leftist ideology, he played an uncharacteristic role of a struggling farmer; it was a memorable portrayal. It was the era of Kannadasan, Viswanathan-Ramamurthy and P.B. Srinivas. In his long career, that has spanned nearly half a century, Gemini has played everything from college student to music guru. With his signature costume of kurta and pyjama, he projected a romantic hero as he broke the hearts of women: Decades later, through a character in the film “Avvai Shanmuki” (1996) he was to refer to this image.

His was a time when melodrama ruled the Indian screen. The plots of his films were often sentimental, like in “Kalathur Kannamma” (1960). The eroticism he depicted in the love scenes was beautifully understated. By just throwing longing looks, smiling and holding hands he earned the title Kadhal Mannam (The Prince of Love). A typical Gemini hero was zestful, warm and gracious and not given to violence.

In his elements

He was at his best in his films with Savithiri. The Gemini-Savithiri film that I like most is “Prema Pasam” (1956) in which he plays the role of a benevolent thief, an enduring theme in Indian cinema. The song “O..ho Vennilave. Vinnalum vennilave“, by Ghantasala, rocked Tamil Nadu and turned out to be one of the most durable songs of Tamil cinema. This pair, frolicking in the garden of Sathanur dam, with Gemini singing “Kalangalil Aval vasantham” (“Pavamannipu”, 1961), is one of the most lasting images of Tamil cinema. He was in his element in mythological roles also and the one that comes to mind first is his portrayal of Abimanyu in “Maya Bazaar” (1957).

The tragedy of Gemini is that he got fossilised in one type of portrayal. One reason is that he did not get a director who could harness his potential.

Though he was a director’s delight, not trying to dominate by suggesting camera positions, he never reached his artistic peak. When other stars in the Western world, such as Robert Redford and Clint Eastwood, and in India, Kamal Hassan responded to a similar situation by turning to film direction, so that they could have greater creative control over the films, Gemini did not choose that path. His portrayal of the forlorn lover in the film “Kalyanaparisu” (1959), who did not get what he wanted, is the enduring image his admirers and fans have of him.

Hindu On Net

Take Dutt

Veteran actor Sunil Dutt plays his new role as Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs with aplomb.

THOUGH IN Munnabhai MBBS, Sanjay Dutt, walked away with all the laurels, it was dad Sunil Dutt’s cameo role that formed the fulcrum of the story and the film became the biggest blockbuster of 2003. But then, bogged down in his new role as Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, the senior Dutt claims he has little time even to talk to his “only beta” over the phone; let alone don the grease paint again.

Still remembered for his sterling performances in films such as Sujatha, Waqt, Milan, Gumrah and Padosan, the actor-turned-minister appears to have taken his new job, rather seriously.

“I now have the responsibility of channelling the country’s youth into becoming the most formidable force in the world. So where is the question of doing films?” he asks. “I agreed to do Munnabhai… as it was a very small role. Otherwise, politics is a serious job and you need to devote 100 per cent attention,” he insists.

Sitting in New Delhi, does he get time to meet son Sanjay? “No way, yaar, I do not get time to speak to him even over the mobile. He is busy with his schedules and I have my own hectic work,” says the senior Dutt, adding that he does not have time to watch movies even once in a while.

Personal loss

Many acknowledge that the death of wife Nargis was the biggest personal loss to him, so much so he never entertained the idea of marrying again. The prolonged incarceration of son Sanjay under the infamous, but now repealed TADA, was also a blow to him. But Sunil Dutt seemed to have taken the setbacks in his stride.

As he puts it philosophically, “Life has to be dynamic. There is nothing like personal loss, gain or sufferings. Everybody has got a role to play in life. One has to fulfil it to the maximum,” he says.

“The smiles on the face of the victims of the tsunami tragedy when the relief material was being distributed in my presence was the happiest moment in my life, ” he says. It is only when you ameliorate the sufferings of your fellow beings, does your life’s mission get fulfilled, he insists.

Youth power

About 40 per cent of the country’s population comprises the youth. “My mission is to ensure that this youth power which has got so much talent is converted into a potent force. I also want to see India as a major force in the world’s sports arena,” he says, like an archetypal politician.

Still retaining his youthful exuberance, but refusing to divulge his age, he says with a wink, “I am just 25 years old! Do you have any doubts about it?”

And the yesteryear actor seemed to justify the arguments, as scores of people were seen jostling and trying to get closer for his autograph.

R. BALAJI

Hindu On Net

The Bangla Bombshell

“The sex symbol tag is my brand equity.” says actor Bipasha Basu in an interview in SREEDHAR PILLAI

WHAT WAS hot and happening in Chennai? If you were on the sets of Prasad Studio recently, there could be only one answer: Bipasha Basu. The Bengali bombshell wrapped up a folksy “fantasy erotic song” for the film “Sachin”, accompanied by hero Vijay and a dozen dancers flown in from Mumbai. Dressed in a blue skirt with magenta brocade and a frilly matching choli, Bipasha breezes through the peppy number choreographed by Ahmed Khan with ease. There is a thump in her bump and an edge to her grind.

Bipasha has evidently lost a few kilos over the last two months. She looks cheerful and full of energy. She says it was a great experience to do a Tamil film and adds her co-star Vijay, producer Thanu and director John are thorough professionals. They had given her an English translation of the script before signing her for the film.

Bonny to family members and Bips to friends, Bipasha loves to talk about her career and love life candidly and endlessly. She has no qualms about being called the sex symbol of Bollywood. She says: “What’s wrong in being a sex symbol? I think the audience like me as I have the personality that’s required to be a sex symbol.” It was her first three releases “Raaz”, “Ajnabee” and “Jism” that established her as a sex siren, though her characters had negative shades. Her moment of glory came when Britain’s Channel Four listed “Jism” shots featuring her among the sexiest 100 scenes in world cinema!

However last year, Bips faced stiff competition from a bevy of wannabe item girls such as Mallika Sherawat, Priyanka Chopra and Neha Dhupia.

Added to that, her films such as “Aitraaz”, “Rudraksh” and “Rakht” had flopped. Says Bipasha: “Competition is there in all fields but I believe that it is talent that counts at the end of the day. I am getting all plum roles and trust me, Bipasha is a brand!” Bipasha says it was her boyfriend John Abraham who motivated her to shed weight and now “it feels great when he says I look ravishing.” Bipasha also says she has taken her career seriously and plans to do good films and carefully choose scripts that come her way.

She says in Prakash Jha’s “Apaharan”, a film set against the backdrop of the kidnapping incidents in Bihar, she is paired opposite Ajay Devgan. She plays Megha, a bar dancer. In “Phir Hera Pheri”, she is doing her first comedy role in the company of Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal. Then there is John Mathew Mathan of “Sarfarosh” fame who is doing a dark thriller in which she is paired with Shahid Kapoor.

Meaningful roles

Recently Bipasha created a stir when producer Yash Chopra signed her to do “Dhoom-2″, a sequel to last year’s big hit “Dhoom”, to be directed by Sanjay Gadhvi. This film will have Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. Bipasha’s summer releases are “No Entry” with Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Fardeen Khan, and “Barsaat” with Bobby Deol and Priyanka Chopra. Adds Bipasha: “I have meaningful roles in these films. I had to turn down a few films which did not satisfy me as an actress in terms of subject and money.”

When asked why she said “No” to Kamal Haasan’s “Mumbai Express”, that was first offered to her, she is quick to reply: “He is a wonderful actor. But I had to play the role of a mother of a 10-year-old boy. I was not sure whether the audience will accept me in such a role.”

On why she accepted “Sachin”, she chuckles: “It is a beautiful role. I play cupid in the film and bring Vijay and Genelia, the lead pair, together. When you see the film, you will know why I accepted it.”

Grapevine has it that the dusky beauty was paid a whopping amount to do the film. Says Bipasha: “Of course money is very important and I need a lot of it to live in a difficult city like Mumbai and maintain my lifestyle.”

On media reports that she has been refusing a lot of art house films, Bipasha shoots back: “I am not here for awards. I will not compromise on my salary, why should I work for charity?”

Bipasha says though she has been flooded with offers from the South where money is bigger than in Bollywood, her heart is in Hindi films. She finds Vijay to be quiet, cool and dignified. Adds Bipasha with a smile: “When we were in Ooty I was surprised by the way people got excited seeing him and the worst part was no one recognised me. They say he is a phenomenon.”

Bipasha is in a league of her own and concludes: “I take it as a compliment when people label me a sex symbol. After all it is my brand equity. I guess I am here to stay for long as an actress and make the most of what I am getting.”

Hindu On Net

SANTA MARIA, California : Rival lawyers in Michael Jackson’s child molestation trial wrangled Thursday over the validity of a child’s fingerprints found on a porn magazine seized from the star’s bedroom.

Prosecutors are battling to convince jurors that fingerprints found on magazines seized from Jackson’s bedroom prove the pop singer used the porn to “groom” his alleged victim for abuse.

Witnesses Thursday said a fingerprint of the accuser’s younger brother was found on a pornographic magazine entitled “Finally Legal,” while another similar publication had the print of “a minor.”

Detectives and forensic experts explained to the jury how fingerprints, most of which they did not identify, were found on racy magazines seized in a November 2003 search of Jackson’s Neverland Ranch.

But Jackson lawyer Robert Sanger suggested the accuser had handled the magazines at a court hearing between the time the magazine was seized in a November 2003 search of Neverland Ranch and the time it was dusted for fingerprints.

The defense also suggested that analyzing fingerprints was at times subjective, and pointed to prints initially thought to be Jackson’s but which experts now have doubts about.

Court-watchers said it was unclear at this stage how much importance the jury would give to what amounted to circumstantial evidence.

“I think the prosecution has yet to show that this mountain of porn they produced was shown to the accuser by Michael Jackson,” said legal analyst Jim Moret outside the courtroom in the California town of Santa Maria.

“There has to be a connection between these materials and Michael Jackson and his accuser” in order for the prosecution argument to stand, he added.

Jackson’s lawyers pointed out the magazines were dusted for fingerprints about one year after Jackson is alleged to have abused the boy in February 2003.

But Secret Service forensic expert Antonio Cantu told jurors the time lapse should not cause “any degradation” of the evidence.

The defense claims that the boy’s fingerprints were placed on the magazine when he was asked to identify it during a hearing before the grand jury that handed down a 10-charge indictment against Jackson in April 2004.

Sanger stressed that all the raunchy literature found in Jackson’s bedroom was legal in the United States, and suggested that police were overzealous in seizing the items.

But prosecutors pointed out it was illegal to show such material to children. Jackson has not been charged with showing pornography to a minor.

Jurors who had earlier paid close attention and took copious notes during the explosive testimony offered in the first three weeks of Jackson’s trial often appeared bored by the details and specialised testimony.

One alternate juror fell asleep as others fidgeted.”That is a problem for both the prosecution and the defense,” Moret said, adding that “you don’t want to lose jurors.”

In past days jurors have been shown dozens of pornographic magazines and pictures, none of which involved pedophilia.

Meanwhile, trial judge Rodney Melville ordered a former Jackson bodyguard to testify, even though he is in jail in Las Vegas accused of armed robbery and kidnapping.

Melville ordered that Christopher Carter be brought to his courthouse by April 4 and that he be held in jail “between court proceedings” and then returned to Las Vegas.

Carter is alleged to have witnessed events that are crucial to the prosecution case against the 46-year-old star.

Jackson has denied the charges that he molested a 13-year-old cancer patient, plied him with alcohol and plotted to kidnap him and his family two years ago. He could be jailed for up to 20 years if convicted.

- AFP

Channel News Asia