Friday, January 10, 2020 | Vol. 39, No. 02
Indo American News
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January 10, 2020
Published weekly from Houston, TX
www.indoamerican-news.com
Special Reports Community Briefs Local Politics South Asians in the News
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Religious Ceremonies Greet New Year
Sikh Airman Gets Religious OK
Pages 3, 10, 13
P9 Deepika Excels in “Chhapaak”
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Indo-American News • Friday, JANUARY 10, 2020 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
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January 10, 2020
Indo-American News • Friday, JANUARY 10, 2020 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
COMMUNITY
January 10, 2020
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Full-on Entertainment at Shri Sita Ram Foundation’s New Year’s Party : The 1st New Year’s Eve with divine fervor was celebrated by Shri Sita Ram Foundation, USA on Tuesday 31st December to more than a houseful audience. The Party was held at The Foundation Hall at 1200 Blalock Road, Houson. The event was a free event for all registered attendees.
The celebration started in high spirits with recitation of Sundar Kand from Ramayana with music accompaniment . Thereafter everyone was treated to a sumptuous dinner fit for a king. The event entered a high note thereafter with Bhajan- Antakshari where the audience showcased their bhajan knowledge and sing-
ing talent. The audience was so engrossed in the Antakshari that they lost track of time. Everyone danced to the high energy tunes of Hare Krishna Mahamantra while 2019 was slipping by and the 2020 was heralding in. After the dawn of the new year, Maha Arti was offered along with firecrackers and fireworks to wel-
come 2020. It was also a delight to watch adults becoming children themselves while welcoming the New Year with sparklers. The attendees were treated to several varieties of Indian sweets after the fire works. Everyone reluctantly left at 2:00 a.m. Foundation demonstrated that a clean Super fun filled, alcohol-Free
celebration can be more enjoyable in welcoming a new year, compared to a traditional one. All attendees vowed to come back again in larger numbers with friends and family next year to welcome year 2021 in a much bigger and elaborate manner. More pictures of the event may be seen on the Foundation website.
Indo-American News • Friday, JANUARY 10, 2020 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
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COMMUNITY
January 10, 2020
Mayor Turner Celebrates His 2nd Term Win
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (center) with his supporters, including Vinni and Dr. Arun Verma.
Houston: A huge celebration took place on the evening of 2nd Jan. 2020 at The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. Here, the entire City Council joined several prominent people of Houston and supporters of Mayor Turner who were invited to celebrate Mayor Turner’s 2nd term victory as Mayor of Houston (Jan. 2020 to Dec. 2023). This was a celebration after the oathtaking ceremony that morning. The evening was festive with the beating of drums, music and several tables decked up with a variety of food and drinks. The Mayor took the stage flanked by his daughter about 7:45 p.m. to recognize the council members,
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and several other dignitaries. He thanked volunteers and supporters for all their help in getting him re-elected and looked forward to four more years of progress in making Houston a much better city. Mayor Turner easily won reelection against challenger Tony Buzbee in a runoff that proved less dramatic than the first round of voting and affirmed the city’s status as a Democratic stronghold, despite an 11th-hour intervention tied to President Donald Trump. Turner defeated lawyer Tony Buzbee, 57% to 43%, in the midDecember 2019 runoff election. Turner will now serve a second
four-year term, leading Texas’ largest city — and the fourth most populous in the country. The race was nonpartisan, though Turner, a former longtime Democratic state representative, harnessed the support of his party to beat back Buzbee, who presented himself as an independent reformer. He refused campaign donations while self-funding his bid to the tune of over $10 million. Turner almost won reelection outright in the initial Nov. 5 election, getting 47% of the vote to Buzbee’s 28% in a crowded field. Turner was first elected in 2015 in a much tighter runoff, defeating businessman Bill King by 2 percentage points
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COMMUNITY
January 10, 2020
Ekal Vidyalaya Reaches for the Stars and Succeeds Once Again
Ekal Vidyalaya is a grassroots movement spearheading integrated and holistic development of rural and tribal regions of India and Nepal. Their primary activity has been to set-up and run one-teacher schools (i.e. Ekal Vidyalayas) in remote villages educating children and empowering rural women Last December, Ekal realized its goal of establishing schools in 100,000 villages, three years ahead of schedule. The 100,000th school was set up in the village of Kasurdi in the Panchmahal district of Gujarat. The celebration was held at the Ukai Sugar factory grounds in Gujarat. The occasion was graced by several Ekal dignitaries: Ekal Abhiyan Founder Shri Shyam Gupt, Chairman Shri Pradeep Goyal, and Working committee Chair Shri Bajrang Bagda. Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Vijay Rupani with Ekal USA Chairman Shri Ramesh Shah and his wife Kokilaben Shah also attended the event. Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modiji made time from his busy schedule in Delhi for a live address to the huge crowd gathered there. Shri Modiji congratulated the Ekal Sangathan for reaching the 1 lakh school goal and felicitated Ekal’s role of being a leading volunteer in nation building, imparting education to over 35 million children over the past 30 years. Modiji mentioned that it was only through the fervor of passion, commitment and
dedication of Ekal volunteers and donors that the goal of 100,000 was turned from an “impossible” to an “achievable” one. He also recognized Ekal for receiving the most prestigious national recognition “The Mahatma Gandhi Peace Prize” in Feb 2019 from the Government of India. Shri Modiji mentioned that Ekal has realized the visions and dreams of our country’s past leaders Gandhiji’s ideal of Gram Swaraj, the social justice of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Antyoday of Shri Deen Dayal Upadhayay and Swami Vivekanand’s image of glorious India! He added that Ekal’s out of the box thinking and the “Panchamukhi Shiksha” have fulfilled Babasheb’s dream of imparting equal education to girls and boys. Honorable PM presented Ekal a message and challenges for the
future: • Advocated a Real Time dashboard to monitor the progress of all Ekal Vidyalayas • To celebrate 75 years of Indian Independence in 2022, he suggested developing skits, musical performances and debates to highlight the role of tribal communities in India’s freedom • Suggested pairing private and public schools to enable mutual exchange of ideas and learning between children from rural and urban backgrounds. “Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat” is our adage going forward. Back at home, the Houston Ekal community too celebrated this feat by bringing Ekal committee members and volunteers together in the Madras Pavilion restaurant for cake cutting to mark the 100,000th school and for a sumptuous din-
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ner. President of Ekal Houston Chapter, Shri Yogi Patel made an announcement to celebrate this achievement with Houston area Ekal well-wishers and donors during the upcoming annual fund raiser on March 13, 2020, at Stafford Center on Cash Road. An extravagant kaleidoscope of Bollywood and inspirational songs with dances and skits “Bharat Ke Rang, Ekal Ke Sang” will be presented by kalakars from Ekal villages. The Kalakar team is trained and choreographed by professionals in India to give the Houston community a unique experience. They are also eager to share their personal and village development stories with you. Please come and meet them in person. Besides development of schools, Ekal’s mission of holistic development of villages is targeted through
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various other projects: • Ekal has introduced sustainable farming in villages which includes vermicompost, organic farming. • Ekal’s tailoring centers have trained over 2000 women enabling a monthly income of 2000-5000 Rupees. • Carpentry and handicrafts are other skills imparted. • Health and Hygiene projects deliver technology aided health care to over 4000 villages. Many medical camps focusing on anemia, malnutrition and basic health care needs are organized. • IVD (Integrated Village Development) is where Ekal Arogya preaches and practices “Prevention is better than Cure”. Health Sevikas go door to door imparting hygiene and health education. • Eye care projects have eye vans traveling to Ekal villages. • Telemedicine centers have started in few villages of Jharkhand and Bhubaneshwar. • Ekal on Wheels brings digital literacy to villages through mobile computer labs while E-shiksha program provides computer tablets to schools. Let us all join hands once again and empower Ekal in developing “Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat” by supporting “Bharat Ke Rang, Ekal Ke Sang” event in large numbers. Please click here for specific details https://www.ekal.org/us/ event/bharat-ke-rang-ekal-kesang-houston-tx
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Indo-American News • Friday, JANUARY 10, 2020 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
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BUSINESS
January 10, 2020
IACCGH Elects Swapan Dhairyawan as President for Second Term By Manu Shah
Houston: Towards the end of 2018, IACCGH’s Board of Directors called for a special meeting to amend the bylaws that would enable the present President to continue for one more year. This change would make Swapan Dhairyawan the first President in the history of the Chamber to have a two year term. This extension, Swapan believes, offered greater continuity and more time “to sow the seeds” in the planning and execution of programs. Swapan, a business owner who heads his own Certified Public Accountancy firm - MD & Associates LLP, has been associated with the Chamber since 2004 when he took up a friend’s invitation to attend a Chamber networking event. The potential made him renew his membership every year. In 2012, he joined the Board and became Treasurer. For five years, Swapan oversaw the books and in 2017, was voted unanimously as President for the year 2018. On December 31, 2019, he completed his term and describes the experience as “gratifying and incredibly rewarding.” During these two years, the Chamber put out 71 events that ran the gamut from Women’s initiatives, entrepreneurship and trade delegations. Having worked closely with Swapan
all these years, Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia says his ability to “think beyond the possibilities and build on a program is one of the many traits that make him a true leader.” Apart from empowering small businesses, one of Swapan’s goals
was to reach out to different communities and work with other organizations like the Jamatkhana, the Indian Doctors Association, TiE, IIT Alumni, Vadtal Dham and the Meenakshi Temple to see how the Chamber could help their members. Events were organized
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with them including several others which connected businesses that had been impacted by Hurricane Harvey to access interest free loans and other business resources. Speaking of the Howdy Modi event where he was drafted into the Special Invitations Committee, he says that not only did the event put Houston on the world map 50 years after the landing on the moon, (remember “Houston, we have a problem”) but the chemistry between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump bode well for US-India relations. Swapan was also part of the Trade Mission to India led by Mayor Turner in 2018 that comprised of three big partners – the Chamber, the Greater Houston Partnership and Visit Houston. As of May 2019, India was ranked as Houston’s 4th largest trading partner and such trade missions – Swapan believes, strengthen ties with Indian businesses, investors and government officials.
Under Swapan’s watch, there were two new entrants to the Chamber’s list of events. The Generational Transition panel discussion which invited a parent and child of Indo American business families to weigh in on the business transition plan and the Open Forum Radio Talk Show featuring a live interview with one member of the Chamber every month. The former, unsurprisingly, elicited a great deal of interest and discussion while the latter brought some high visibility to Chamber members. What does he consider the highlights of his term? Considering his answer carefully, Swapan lists three: having Governor Greg Abbott and the US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster as Keynote Speakers at the Annual Galas, joining the Mayor’s trade delegation to India and being featured in the Houston Business Journal’s Business page. All three, he believes, were possible because of the continuous contributions of the Chamber to Houston’s economy over the last 20 years. As he leaves his unique footprint on the Chamber’s activities, Swapan intends to remain closely involved with the Chamber and continue his championing of small businesses – a cause that’s closest to his heart.
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SPORTS
January 10, 2020
India vs. Sri Lanka T20: Saini, Thakur Sparkle in Convincing Win
By Andrew Fidel Fernando Indore (ESPN Cricinfo): India 144 for 3 (Rahul 45, Iyer 34, Kohli 30*) beat Sri Lanka 142 for 9 (Kusal Perera 34, Thakur 3-23, Saini 2-18) by seven wickets India flexed their bowling muscles against an underwhelming Sri Lanka batting unit in Indore, Navdeep Saini taking two wickets and going for 18 across four rapid overs, while Shardul Thakur neutered the opposition at the death with three wickets of his own. Having kept the visitors to 142 for 9 - a total Lasith Malinga felt was 25-30 short of a competitive score - India then flexed their batting muscles. KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan flew through the Powerplay overs and put on 71 for the first wicket, breaking the back of the target. Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli then made thirties to carry the hosts to victory, with 15 balls and seven wickets to spare. Although there were bursts of energy in Sri Lanka’s batting, these never lasted long enough to put India under serious pressure. Each of Sri Lanka’s top three got starts, but none could make more than 35. The middle and lower order (this Sri Lanka lineup bats to as low as No. 9) kept being undone by India’s wiles. Wanindu Hasaranga’s three successive boundaries to finish gave the innings a sheen of respectabil-
Indian pacer Navdeep Saini exults after another Sir Lankan wicket.
ity, but the moment, Rahul hit two stunning cover drives back-to-back against Malinga, it became clear just how good this pitch was, and how much Sri Lanka were going to struggle to defend this score. Navdeep Saini exults after going through Danushka Gunathilaka’s defence BCCI Avishka Fernando had looked good too at the start of Sri Lanka’s innings. He had hit his own
sumptuous cover drive, off Jasprit Bumrah, to get off the mark, before spanking Saini through the legside twice soon after. But when he was tested with spin, his timing fell apart. Trying to launch Washington Sundar over mid-off in the fifth over, he managed only to find the fielder, departing for 22 off 16. At the other end, Danushka Gunathilaka struggled his way through the Powerplay before
Saini rattled his stumps with a 148 kph full delivery in the eighth over. Kusal Perera then looked good through the middle period, hitting three sixes off the spinners, including an audacious reverse-pull off Kuleep Yadav. But with Sri Lanka’s scoring rate now flagging, he holed out trying for a fourth six - Kuldeep claiming the wicket immediately after that reverse-pull.
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Still, Sri Lanka were only four down, in the 14th over. There was plenty of firepower to come, you thought. Not a lot of big-hitting materialised, however, as Thakur and Saini in particular kept making breakthroughs in the last third of their innings. Each of the six boundaries India hit in the Powerplay came off Rahul’s bat. He clattered Lahiru Kumara through the legside for his first four, then smoked the next four boundaries through the covers - against both seam and spin. There were nervous moments during this stretch as well. In the fourth over he got a top edge off de Silva that fell into space on the legside. In the fifth over Lahiru Kumara struck him in the ribs. But he almost single-handedly hauled India to 54 by the end of six overs - a near ideal start to this chase. It took Dhawan almost until the end of the ninth over to hit his first boundary, but Rahul’s confident work had more than accounted for his tetchiness. Hasaranga made the first inroads with the ball, first bowling an advancing Rahul through the gate with a googly, before trapping Dhawan in front (the original decision was overturned in Sri Lanka favour on review), but by this stage Sri Lanka badly needed wickets to be falling at the other end as well. They didn’t.
Indo-American News • Friday, JANUARY 10, 2020 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
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January 10, 2020
COMMUNITY Dhiren Shethia is New Pratham President
Houston: Pratham USA is pleased to announce the appointment of Dhiren Shethia as president of the Houston chapter, effective January 2020. Dhiren succeeds Asha Dhume, who provided inspirational and effective leadership during her tenure as president. Dhiren is a managing director at Accenture. Prior to his current position, he was the managing partner and co-founder of Enaxis Consulting, which was acquired by Accenture in 2018, and has led several other successful organizations throughout his career. In 2014, Dhiren was named “Business Person of the Year” by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston. An active supporter of Pratham USA since its inception, Dhiren has served on both the executive and advisory boards of the Houston chapter, while also supporting multiple other charities focused on education and empowerment along with his wife, Anila.
Asha is an invaluable member of the Pratham community, whose contributions to Pratham cannot be overstated. Through her tireless efforts as president, the chapter grew significantly, achieving its largest-ever annual fundraising sum. In addition, the 2019 gala was the highest-grossing event among American Indian charities in Houston. We are delighted that she will continue her involvement with the chapter as an indispensable member of the Houston board. We also want to thank Dr. Randeep Suneja, whose term as vice president of Pratham Houston has ended, for his exuberant passion for our mission and service to the organization these past two years. We are proud of our accomplishments and excited for Pratham’s future. Please join us in thanking Asha and Randeep for their outstanding service to Pratham and welcoming Dhiren to his new role. -- Deepak Raj, Pratham USA Chairman
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Indo-American News • Friday, JANUARY 10, 2020 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
COMMUNITY
January 10, 2020
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Airman Juspreet Singh: Only 3rd Granted Religious Accommodation
Before and after shots of Airman Jaspreet Singh. The first photo (left) features Airman Jaspreet Singh, NJ Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, and LTC Kamal Singh Kalsi, D.O., USAR). The second photo is from Airman Singh’s duty station at an Air Force base in NJ.
Washington DC: After advocacy by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Sikh American Veterans Alliance Juspreet Singh has been granted a religious accommodation to be able to serve in the US Air Force while practicing his faith. However AIC Singh is only the third airman to receive such a waiver. The Sikh American Veterans Alliance is calling on the Pentagon to improve and streamline the process for religious accommodations across all branches of the military so more qualified and committed Sikh Americans may serve their country with distinction while practicing their faith. “I am thrilled we continue to make momentum in religious ac-
commodations for our Sikh Airmen and across the branches of our Armed Forces. However, the process is bogged down with A1C Singh only becoming the third airman to receive this accommodation. We must improve this process, make it more streamlined and efficient so that more committed and qualified Sikh Americans may serve our country in uniform while practicing our faith” said LTC Kamal Singh Kalsi, D.O., USAR & President, Sikh American Veterans Alliance. “A1C Singh’s waiver is another step forward and we are proud to have worked with him and the US Air Force to obtain this waiver, but more can and should be done to
improve this process. Airman like A1C Singh should not have to be in limbo for months or need the assistance of organizations and law firms to obtain a waiver to serve his country while practicing his faith. “I am elated and grateful that the United States Air Force has granted my religious accommodation.” said A1C Singh. “I have always had a calling to serve this country, and with this accommodation, I can do so and simultaneously practice my faith freely. I feel that my country has embraced not only my commitment to serve but also my Sikh heritage” Added LTC Kalsi “Sikh’s have a long history of serving in uniform
and Juspreet is another addition to our legacy and footsteps in the US Military. This is another step forward for Sikh Americans in the United States Armed Forces. SAVA will continue to push for an Air Force and Department of Defense wide policy so that airmen like Juspreet do not need to spend months working to acquire an accommodation. We will continue to strive for more Sikh Americans to be able to serve while fully practicing their faith. The turban represents that commitment to service and sacrifice. It is part of an identity that has forged some of the fiercest warriors the world has ever known.” “Religious freedom is a core te-
net of our democracy and society, and we are proud to see it represented in the US Air Force. This is an historic moment for our nation’s military and hearty congratulations for Sunjit Rathour for his graduation! It also underscores SAVA’s commitment to a stronger and inclusive military, representative of our country’s diversity” Brian Song and Sonny Carpenter, BakerHostetler. BakerHostetler were a part of this effort as pro-bono counsel and advocating alongside the Sikh American Veterans Alliance. Brian Song and Sonny Carpenter worked with SAVA and alongside the ACLU.
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Indo-American News • Friday, JANUARY 10, 2020 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
January 10, 2020 17 COMMUNITY BUSINESS
January 10, 2020 10 COMMUNITY
Ravi Shankar’s Blissful Mata di Chowki Ushers in the New Year By Jawahar Malhotra
Left: Ravi Shankar Puri sang, surrounded by his musicians and backup singers while the crowd of devotees sat across from him. Bottom left: Gopal Agarwal and his son sat at the altar, hands folded in devotion, as worshippers made their offerings
HOUSTON: Even though the
evening turned chilly and a light, steady rain fell across the city, worshippers rushed to local temples to offer their prayers for a peaceful and joyful 2020. On the southwest side of town, at the Radha Krishna Temple on Beechnut, after visiting the main altar, devotees turned to the Vishal Mata di Chowki gathering that was being conducted in the large assembly hall by Ravi Shankar Puri on evening of New Year’s Day. As he had done last year in the same venue, Puri had decorated the stage elaborately with a resplendent display of the Goddess Durga, where GopalAgarwal and his son sat, hands folded in devotion as worshippers made their offerings. Before they approached, they received a tilak, headband scripted with “Jai Mata Di” and a wrist amulet signifying blessings. In the back of the hall, recently arrived worshippers could sit at tables and have some warm snacks and tea; and later had a catered dinner after the long service. But for the many seated on the floor before the makeshift altar decorated with chunris, kalash, flowers and garlands, the rapture was in the devotional singing that Puri has become widely known for across the area. In fact he has built a following in the major cities of Texas, having performed at temples and private gatherings. Puri can pack a hall with his joyous and uplifting rendition of
popular devotional songs with his command of delivery in fast-paced Hindi. Puri is well known for his association with the festivals and temples in Houston and has slowly built a following as a rising Hindi and Punjabi devotional singer. Devotion to Maa Durga - the powerful Goddess and Divine Mother who protects people from the dark and evil – and very commonly
prevalent in Northern India as followers see her blessings, often in these Chowkis. This New Year’s Day, Puri delivered again, seated on a low dais on one side, surrounded by his musicians and backup singers while the crowd of devotees sat across from him, thoroughly enjoying the praises of Durga Mata that Puri sang almost non-stop for over 90 minutes.
He was accompanied by Rupesh, Ramesh, Bhola, Amit Joshi, Sunil Mishra, Surinder Sharma, Sunny, Renison, Zubair and Nirav Puri. Midway through, over 200 people sat there while others came streamed through. Keeping in tune to the dholak as Puri praised Durga Mata in bhents and bhajans,
devotees clapped loudly often chanting Jai Mata Di and getting up to dance before the altar.
CAA Protests: JNU Students Detained in March Towards Rashtrapati Bhavan New Delhi: Moments after Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh gave a call to protesters to head towards the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Thursday, a scuffle broke out with the Delhi Police as they stopped the march. The police then lathicharged and detained students. The development comes soon after the meeting between the JNUSU president along with other members and the HRD ministry concluded, which Ghosh termed as “unsatisfactory”.
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“We’re in no position to compromise with HRD ministry. It’s still thinking whether VC should be removed,” Ghosh said. The JNUSU president along with other members held a meeting with the Ministry of Human Resource Development seeking removal of varsity’s Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar, following his inaction on Sunday’s campus violence. Earlier today, hundreds of people, including students and teachers, protesting against Sunday’s mob violence on Jawaharlal
Nehru University (JNU) campus were stopped by the Delhi Police on Thursday near Shastri Bhawan. Violence had broken out at the university on Sunday night after a masked mob armed with sticks and rods attacked students and teachers and damaged property inside the campus, prompting the administration to call in police which conducted a flag march. The January 5 attack has triggered mass protests across the country against the police inaction . Job Posting
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KTRK-TV, an ABC-owned station in Houston, TX has an opening for a Part-Time, NonLinear News Editor. Candidates should have experience in editing with Premiere Pro software as well as knowledge of a server-based workflow for broadcast news, in a deadline-intensive environment. Experience with Dalet Galaxy is preferred. Serious candidates should also have a working knowledge of the Digital Newsroom and understanding of the digital workflow for broadcast news. Candidates should be able to edit in deadline situations, be creative, precise and be able to work fast. You must be able to take direction, and be a “Team Player” who is not afraid of an intense news environment. Hours will vary depending on the needs of the department, so flexibility to work a varied schedule is required, which will include overnights and weekends. To be considered, candidates must apply on-line at www.disneycareers.com by uploading a resume file, cover letter and list of references. Please Reference Job ID: 735686BRon all materials submitted. KTRK-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity
ExEcutivE ProducEr, original contEnt
KTRK’s Programming Department is looking for a hands-on Executive Producer with a proven track record in identifying and creating unique, compelling original multi-platform content that will capture the pulse of our dynamic city, its diverse communities and Houston Strong spirit. Must be an ideas person who can take a story from concept to its compelling completion whether it’s long form, short form, integrated sales content or live event production. Key Qualifications include excellent modern day storytelling skills and exceptional editorial, interviewing, writing, editing and digital/social skills. Must have a strong eye and passion for innovative and inspiring content creation. Additionally, must be resourceful, adaptable, detail and results oriented with high energy and a positive outlook. The ideal candidate will be highly organized with the innate ability to lead multiple projects simultaneously and still deliver on time. We want a team-first collaborator with a focus on data driven results and experience articulating creative intent to others and actively coordinating team members to turn ideas into reality. Experience managing expectations, especially when working with outside clients, with the ability to identify and articulate alternative solutions when challenges arise is a must. Minimum 5 years experience producing television and digital original content in a major market. We want respected, knowledgeable, and ethical station representatives who are willing to work any day or shift required. If you meet these qualifications and want to be considered you must apply online at disneycareers.com, reference job # 735047BR. KTRK-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity
Indo-Americannews News••FrIdAy, Friday,novemBer JANUARY 10, Indo-AmerIcAn 29,2020 2019••Online OnlineEdition: editiOn:www.indoamerican-news.com www.indOamerican-news.cOm
OBITUARY
January 10, 2020
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A Brilliant Mind, Gurpreet “Sonny” Bhalla, Planned His Moments Till the End By Jawahar Malhotra Houston: Though in the country barely a year, and just 18 yearsold, his professors clearly saw his brilliance and as the first semester came to an end, they asked him to help tutor his other classmates in math, science and biology. It came naturally to him, as he had already finished a year of college at St. Stephens in New Delhi, which is noted for its academic excellence. That brilliance stayed with him till the end, when he helped to write his final wishes and plan his own funeral, recalled his father retired Col. Dr. Raj Bhalla. Gurpreet Singh Bhalla – affectionately known as “Sonny” passed away on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 in Reedsville, Pennsylvania with his family beside him. The cause of death was renal cell carcinoma which had been in remission till March 2016 when it reappeared. Gurpreet fought bravely but himself chose not to
Gurpreet “Sonny” Bhalla
prolong his deteriorating condition by extending treatment. He
was 61. Born on July 29, 1958 in New Delhi, India, Gurpreet had a marvelous education at the prestigious Modern School which he attended from kindergarten to higher secondary. His family lived nearby on Pandara Road, though his father would be posted to field areas, while his mother Kanwal handled the household. When his father moved to the US to work at Charles River Labs in Port Washington, Long Island, Gurpreet enrolled at the State University of New York in Stony Brook receiving his Bachelors of Science (Hons) in 1980. “He had offers from five medical schools,” remembered Raj Bhalla, and decided on New York University for his MD, receiving it in 1984 and eventually completed his Residen-
cy and Fellowship in anesthesia from NYU in 1988. Gurpreet began his professional career as an Attending Anesthesiologist at Vassar Brothers Hospital, Poughkeepsie NY from 1988 to 1998. He then became the CEO of Penn Anesthesia Service PC and the Chairman of the Department of Anesthesia & Pain Management Services at Lewistown Hospital, Lewistown, PA from 2000 to 2015. In Lewistown Hospital, he led important Committees including Credentialing, Professional Affairs, and Performance Improvement and was a Member of the Hospital Board of Directors. In 2010 he was diagnosed and treated for Renal Cell Carcinoma, which went into remission until March 2016 when the cancer reappeared. Because of his illness, he retired and pursued his treatment first at Sloan Kettering in New York, then at Dana Farber in Boston, Massachusetts and finally at
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Gurpreet was an avid fan of opera and a globetrotter who loved good wines, classy restaurants and fine watches. “He was a loving involved father, a devoted husband, a passionate brother and a caring son,” said his father. Besides his father, he is survived by his wife Dr. Jyotish, an anesthesiologist also; his son Ravi an attorney in New York City; younger brother Dr. Narinder Bhalla (known by many as “Nani”), and mother Kanwal. After his parents moved to Sugar land in 1994, Gurpreet would visit often and came into contact with their wide circle of friends. Both brothers and their families attended special functions for their parents, like Kanwal’s 80th birthday celebration and the two awards that the Morton Masonic Lodge in Richmond, Texas bestowed on Raj Bhalla for his generous donations and selfless deeds.
Severe Weather Forecast: New Delhi in for Second-coldest December Since 1901 The cold is more severe than the hilly areas. The mean temperatures are lower here because of fog and no sunshine. Because of
New Delhi: With a numbing cold continuing to sweep through Delhi-NCR, the region is expected to record its second-coldest December since 1901, the weather department said on Thursday. “The mean maximum temperature for December was less than 20 degrees Celsius only in 1919, 1929, 1961 and 1997,” an official of the India Meteorological Department said. In December this year, the mean maximum temperature (MMT) till Thursday was 19.85 degrees Celsius. It is expected to dip to 19.15 degrees Celsius by December 31, he said. “If it happens, it will be the second-coldest December since 1901. December 1997 recorded the lowest MMT of 17.3 degrees Celsius,” the official said. The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides official figures for Delhi, recorded the lowest maximum temperature of 12.2 degrees Celsius on December 18. The weather station at Palam recorded the lowest maximum of 11.4 degrees Celsius on December 25. Since December 14, most parts of the city have witnessed 13 consecutive “cold days” or a 13-day
“cold spell”. The last time such a long cold spell was witnessed was in December 1997. After 1992, Delhi has had cold spells only in four years – 1997, 1998, 2003 and 2014. “Severe cold day/cold day” conditions are predicted till December 29. A relief is expected next week due to a change in the wind direction. According to the IMD, a “cold day” is when the maximum temperature is at least 4.5 notches below normal. A “severe cold day” is when the maximum temperature is at least 6.5 degrees Celsius below normal. Kuldeep Srivastava, head of the regional weather forecasting centre, said the day temperature was almost half of what is considered normal for this day of the year. The IMD also said that the lowest maximum temperature so far has been recorded on December 28, 1997, when the mercury had plunged to 11.3 degree Celsius, the IMD said. Earlier, experts had said that Delhi is witnessing more chill than hilly areas. “Delhi is facing cold weather for the past few weeks.
the cold weather, there is a rise of 15-20 per cent in the number of patients in OPD,” AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria said on Monday. On Saturday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a ‘red’ warning for the national capital as cold wave conditions continued unabated in the region. The red colour denotes extreme weather conditions. A thick blanket to fog is accompanying severe cold which has led to disruptions in air and rail
traffic. As many as 500 flights were delayed and 21 were diverted from Delhi airport and 30 trains are running late due to low visibility in the Northern Railway region, news agency ANI reported. Delhi on Sunday registered its 16th successive “severe cold day”, the longest spell of such weather
conditions in December in the past 22 years, according to IMD. The minimum temperature was at 2 degrees Celsius. From December 31 onwards, rain is likely in the capital city and its adjoining areas such as Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad and Faridabad.
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January 10, 2020
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COMMUNITY COMMUNITY
January10, 10,2020 2020 January
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HWS Devotees Seek Durga Mata’s Blessings on New Year’s Day By Jawahar Malhotra
HOUSTON: For devout Hindus,
it’s a rite of passage at the beginning of the New Year, after all the frolicking and partying of the Holiday Season, to seek the protection of the Durga Mata, to shield those who pray to her from the terrible influences of selfishness, jealousy, hatred, anger and ego. Each year since it was established, the Hindu Worship Society holds a Mata di Chowki program on New Year’s Day and again in June so that devotees can pray and receive the blessings of this most powerful Goddess. This New Year’s day, despite a slight chill and a steady light rain on a Wednesday evening, over 200 people came to the HWS temple and organizers had immediately moved the venue for serving dinner indoors rather than outdoors as it was done last year. As he has done twice a year for many years, Narendra Sehgal, the owner of Bombay Brasserie restaurant donated the catered dinner held after each chowki, and served by volunteers. The New Year’s chowki usually is performed by local artistes like Ravi Shankar Puri, though last year it featured popular bhajan singer Puneet Khurana. This year, the husband and wife duo of Sheel and Balram Thakral (who too have performed before) performed in their unique style, with Sheel dressed heavily in sparkling ornaments and a shiny pink outfit. The Thakrals have been in Houston for at least two decades and are
ardent devotees of HWS and led the congregants with bhents and bhajans to Mata Devi. Also singing a couple of bhajans was Surender Talwar, in his strong baritone voice that handles all the highs and lows well. As the joyful singing was coming to an end, a long line of devotees lined up to offer a chunni to the
Durga Mata, handing it over to Pandit Bhawani Shankar Shastri to drape over the deity and receive prasad in return. This was followed aarti as all stood for the closing prayer before receiving a boxed dinner to go. According to temple officials, the next Mata di Chowki is scheduled for June and they hope to once again
bring in Puneet Khurana to perform as he brought in a large crowd. The Hindu Worship Society was formally established in 1980 by the oldest Hindu families, mostly Punjabis from North India. The worship hall, adjoining facilities and priest’s home on Wirtcrest is north of I-10, close to the center of the city.
Clockwise from top left: Temple Pandit Bhawani Shankar Shastri draped chunnis over the deity, helped by Rajinder Soni; husband and wife duo of Sheel and Balram Thakral performed bhajans and bhents; Devotees danced in front of the deity; others lined up to offer a chunni to the Durga Mata
New Delhi Gets Its First Smog Tower: What is It and How Does It Work? New Delhi: In November, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre and the Delhi government to prepare a plan to install ‘smog towers’ across the capital to deal with air pollution. What is a ‘smog tower’, how does the one at Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar work? Smog towers are structures designed to work as large-scale air purifiers. They are usually fitted with multiple layers of air filters, which clean the air of pollutants as it passes through them. The smog tower installed at Lajpat Nagar is capable of treating 6,00,000 cubic metres of air per day and can collect more than 75 per cent of particulate matters (PM) 2.5 and 10, PTI reported. After the cleaning, the tower releases clean air. Besides the tower that Gambhir has installed, the Delhi government is planning to install a smog tower at Central Park in Connaught Place. The 20-metre (65 feet) high tower will trap particulate matter of all sizes suspended in the air. Large-scale air filters shall draw in the air through fans installed at the top before passing it through the filters and releasing it near the ground. The filters installed in the tower will use carbon nanofibres as a major component and will be fit-
ted along its peripheries. The tower will focus on reducing particulate matter load. The project is a collaboration between the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, IIT-Delhi and the University of Minnesota, the latter having helped design a similar tower of over 100 metres in China’s Xi’an city. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will also be involved with the project. China, which has been battling air pollution for years, has two smog towers — in its capital Beijing and in the northern city of Xi’an. The Xi’an tower is dubbed the world’s largest, and has reportedly brought down PM 2.5 by 19% in an area of around 6 sq km in its vicinity. The 100-metre (328 feet) high tower has produced 10 million cubic metres of clean air every day since its launch, and on severely polluted days, is able to bring down smog close to moderate levels, according to the South China Morning Post. The tower in Beijing, built by Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde, has been able to compress the carbon waste generated during purification to produce gemstones, according to the TED Conferences website. Upon compression for 30 minutes, the smog particles turn into dark gems, which are used for
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Gautam Gambhir, former cricketer and BJP MP from East Delhi, Friday (January 3) inaugurated a prototype air purifier at Lajpat Nagar in the national capital.
rings and cufflinks. Toxic air is choking New Delhi, closing schools and colleges, forcing cars off the road and prohibiting planes from landing at the airport. The pollution is so bad that it can be seen from space. The 20 million residents of New Delhi, one of the world’s most polluted cities, have suffered for weeks under a toxic haze that’s up to 10 times worse than the upper limits of what’s considered healthy. “I have a headache every day I wake up. It’s suffocating to breathe sometimes. And inflammation in the nostrils and all. And eyes also. Like it kind of burns,” Ankusha Kushi, a student, told the Agence France-Presse news agency. A public health emergency has remained in place in the city for the past five days as the air pollution is at its highest level in more than three years. Every winter, the city is blanketed by a poisonous smog of car fumes, industrial emissions and smoke from stubble burning at farms in neighboring states. Experts said breathing the air in New Delhi is equal to smoking 50 cigarettes a day. Dr. Salil Sharma, said 95% of the patients he has treated over the past 10 days are sick because of the foul air.
Indo-Americannews News••FrIdAy, Friday,novemBer JANUARY 10, Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com Indo-AmerIcAn 29,2020 2019• •Online Online editiOn: www.indOamerican-news.cOm
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TRAVEL
January 10, 2020
India Off the Beaten Track: Bhimbetka – Caveman’s Art Gallery
The “Auditorium Cave” (left), Dancers, Hunters and prey.
By Shashishekhar Gavai If you were a resident of Bhopal, you would want visitors to admire its beautiful lake, forget the horrible gas tragedy of 1985 and be impressed with its close proximity to two UNESCO World Heritage sites – the Buddhist Stupa at Sanchi, originally commissioned by Emperor Ashok 2300 years ag, and a lesser known archaeological treasure going back much, much further in time – Bhimbetka. Travelling on a train traversing the foothills of the Vindhya mountain range in central India, the curiosity of a passenger is aroused as he looks out of his window towards the rock formations in the surrounding forest. They remind him of the formations housing Stone Age rock shelters he has seen in Spain and France during his professional visits. Dr V S Wakankar is an eminent archaeologist, who visited Bhimbetka in 1956. He returned a year later with a team of experts and made a momentous discovery. The rest is history or rather……pre history. Dr Wakankar’s discovery led to further exploration of the area. From the 1970s, over 750 rock shelters have been discovered, of which the Bhimbetka group accounts for 243. Legend has it that Bhim, one of the heroes of the great epic Mahabharata, rested here for a while -- hence the name Bhimbetka. But mythology apart, archaeological
evidence, including the finding of Stone Age tools, suggests that this may be the site of the earliest human inhabitation in the sub continent, going back perhaps a million years or more. And what is equally remarkable is that the evidence also establishes continuous human presence here from the Stone Age to the medieval, a period spanning about 100,000 years. So, the earliest humans who lived here were not of our species, Homo Sapiens, but some other. Their identity remains a mystery. Present-day Man would have arrived here a few thousand years after the exodus from Africa about 70 millennia ago. Driver Majid Khan picks me up from Bhopal airport. On the way, he speaks stoically of the gas tragedy where he has lost some members of his family as well as friends.Time is indeed a great healer. He is guarded in his opinion of the past political dispensation in the state as well as the present one. He is clearly not sure of my own preference. The two-hour drive includes a short final stretch branching off from the highway and climbing gently through a forest. This brings me to Bhimbetka. The first of the several rock shelters, the “Auditorium Cave” is the most impressive of the several caves at Bhimbetka, in terms of its massive size as well as the artefacts it houses. There are numerous “cupules” or cup-shaped depressions carved into the rock, which experts speculate could be as old as 700,000 years – the world’ s oldest
art. And then there are paintings ranging from an estimated 30,000 years ago to medieval times. The paintings depict animals, human figures, hunting scenes with weapons such as spears, pointed sticks, bows and arrows and community events such as dancing. In the later paintings, religious symbols and dresses can be identified. It is also estimated that paintings in several other rock shelters here may have eroded over time. Altamira in Spain was the first major discovery in the 1860s of Stone Age cave paintings and Pablo Picasso is reputed to have remarked, “After Altamira, all is decadence.” The great painter may have had something similar to say about Bhimbetka too had he visited. After all, Bhimbetka is perhaps the oldest art gallery in the world –
one founded by Stone Age men. Only a small section of the several square kilometres that the Bhimbetka rock shelters occupy is open to visitors. But as you explore it even this limited area gives you a sense of the attraction Bhimbetka must have been to successive settlers over tens of thousands of years. The caves afforded much needed protection from the elements. Being numerous and in proximity of each other, they accommodated a sizeable population, providing the security and comfort of community. The thick forests around would be abounding in edible roots and wild life, securing a guaranteed source of food for the hunter gatherer. It is in places like these that man must have discovered fire, crafted
tools of stone and first gave expression to his artistic instincts . Would we be enjoying the comforts of modern living and technology had these long forgotten ancestors of ours not made these revolutionary discoveries? Few other places in the world chronicle the incredible journey of man over such an incredible length of time. Bhimbetka is truly one of the great heritages of mankind. A memorial to the evolution of man. A retired Indian Foreign Service Officer, Shashishekhar Gavai’s career has included serving as the Consul General of India in Houston and India’s High Commissioner for Canada. For a full version of this and other travelogs, visit indiaoffthebeatentrack.home.blog.
How to Reach Bhimbetka By Air: Bhopal (about 45 km from Bhimbetka) is the nearest airport connected with Mumbai, Delhi, Indore and Gwalior. By Rail: Bhopal on the Delhi-Chennai and Delhi-Mumbai mainline is the most convenient railhead. By Road: Bhimbetka is situated on the well connected BhopalHoshangabad National Highway No. 69. Best Season: July to March Timing: Sunrise to sunset
Indo-American News • Friday, JANUARY 10, 2020 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
15 Chhapaak: Deepika Padukone Delivers a Solid Performance
ENTERTAINMENT
January 10, 2020
By Shubhra Gupta Cast: Deepika Padukone, Vikrant Massey, Madhurjeet Sarghi, Vaibhavi Upadhyaya, Payal Kapoor Director: Meghna Gulzar Rating: 3.5 stars Chhapaak is a happy-making word, associated with splashy puddles, burbling rain songs: it is so very Gulzar. In using it for her film on an acid attack survivor, Meghna imparts it with a decided sting: I will never be able to hear it in the same way again. The story of pretty teenager Laxmi Agarwal, whose face was ruined by acid flung by a much older spurned suitor, made headlines. What made her different from so many others was that she refused to let it ruin her life. Instead of cowering in fear and shame, something victims of any kind of violence tend to veer towards, she fought back. It was a long, hard fight, in hospitals and court-rooms, punctuated by a series of painful face-reconstructing surgeries. She refused to stay hidden, speaking for herself, and others. It is that inspiring story that Meghna recreates, with some embellishments, of course, through Deepika Padukone’s Malti. If the star had played it like a vanity project, there would have been no film. But Chhapaak scores because she comes through with a solid, realised performance. It is not just putting the focus on the ravagedskin-with a missing ear-and-nostril, but reflecting a mix of pain, anger, resignation, and finally, arriving at some kind of resolution.
What also saves the film from becoming a preachy, let’s-standup-for-these-poor-girls causemongering, which it could well have sunk into, is its determinedly grounded air. Acid ravaged faces are not pretty: when Malti sees herself in the mirror the first time after she’s back from hospital, she screams. You and I would, too. We are shown that face up- front, unflinchingly. That takes a certain kind of courage, and Padukone shows she’s up for it, without, thankfully, any showiness. And that’s what makes up for a few faltering steps, which also include the superfluous songs: I guess a studio film minus all songs is still some way off. Padukone is given an interesting supporting cast. Massey as
the ornery, impatient NGO-type, whom we know will develop a soft corner for Malti, is pleasing, even though in some bits, him snapping her head off appears a
tad exaggerated. The actor who plays her doughty, ever-supportive lawyer is wonderful. So are the others on Team Malti, especially a character named Shiraz aunty, a
wealthy woman who doubles up as guardian angel. It’s also apt that the perpetrator’s part is given minimal space. The backstory is not important; the girl and her spirited struggle for survival, are. The inclusion of a bunch of acid survivors, all fighting their ‘cases’, make it even more real, even if Malti remains the best looking survivor of them all. If I have a quibble, it’s this: in a tossup to keep things believable, but just enough so that your audience doesn’t avert its eyes in revulsion, you have to keep your leading lady more visible than the others. But so present is Padukone right through, owning a couple of terrific, moving moments, in which we see what’s she’s feeling only through her eyes, that you quash that thought. Her Malti embodies the film’s anti-patriarchy stance, minus shrillness or preachiness. Drama without dreaded melodrama. -- Indian Express
Darbar: Out-and-Out Rajinikanth Film
Darbar may be Superstar Rajinikanth’s first film with hit director A R Murugadoss, but it remains a Rajini film which bows at each step to the continuing myth of the one and only Thalaivar. Set in Mumbai, it is about brave police commissioner Aaditya Arunsalam (Rajini) who singlehandedly sets out to clean the city of its criminals. The plot is old-hat, the situations are older, but that’s okay. We know what we are in for: a two hour forty minutes Rajini-
thon, in which he allows the script to give him set-pieces in which he is the fighter, the romancer, the jokester, the dancer, and everything else that you can think of, all rolled into one. I have managed to enjoy his films even without subs, because so much of the fun is to watch it with fervent Rajini fans, who hoot and whistle and clap so loudly that most dialogues are drowned in any case. And because they all work to a familiar pattern. But this one
has subs, so we get a classic interval point in which Rajini does his slo-mo walk towards the camera, drawling, I am a baaaaad cop. No one can do it like Rajini can, I tell you. Also, it’s interesting to see many familiar faces from Hindi cinema pop up here: Jatin Sarna as a dispensable hood, Prateik Babbar as a buffed-up drug supplier, Suniel Shetty as the chief crime lord, Nayanthara as the ‘louuu interest’ -- Shubhra Gupta
Meghna Gulzar: Movie Chhapaak is about Trauma and Triumph Mumbai (Press Trust of India): Meghna Gulzar says she has navigated in a very sensitive and aesthetic manner the subject of Chhapaak, which is based on the life of acid attack survivor and activist Laxmi Agarwal, and calls it a story of trauma and triumph. Meghna said she had to be careful in showing the harm done by acid on the skin and wanted audiences to focus on the character’s journey. “One myth of acid attack is that when when you are attacked, then it is not that your face melts and falls off. It is not like that. It is like getting burnt with hot water. The skin goes through a process. “Having said that, I believe all of it needs to be dealt aesthetically and sensitively if you want your story to resonate… I think this is for every film. It depends on the sensibility of the maker,” Meghna told PTI in an interview here. The director said it made sense to explore the issue of acid attacks in the country through the film as during her research she found out that such cases are happening on almost daily basis. She also found out that Laxmi’s
Director Meghana Gulzar (left) with leading actress Deepika Padukone. Photo: Indian Express
case was instrumental in Supreme Court’s ruling that put restrictions on the sale of acid. “When I was researching, we got to know the frequency with which these attacks were being reported and it was high. That’s when the realisation hit that this is something that happens frequently. “When we delved deeper into this case, we found out that her
(Laxmi) case was landmark and therefore using it as an anchor to tell the story made sense,” Meghna added. When asked whether cinema can bring some sort of healing to women, who either are acid attack survivors or have faced violence, Meghna said, “The essence of the trailer is of two words – trauma and triumph. If it is in the trailer,
it is going to be in the film and it is there.” Bollywood star Deepika Padukone portrays Laxmi in the movie and Meghna said having an established name on board the film will help in spreading awareness about the issue that the film deals with. “An actor like Deepika playing the part, widens the interest in the film because she is so popular, big
and adulated that you will have her fans who want to come and see it. Have I used her star power? I think that is the function of promotion and marketing, which is not me. Have I used her craft? Yes.” The director revealed that she and co-writer Atika Chohan had penned the script of Chhapaak before she directed by her 2018 film Raazi. “It has not taken time. Once we finished writing, Raazi happened. Every script has its own destiny, you can write it but you can’t decide when it will get made. That the film decides on its own,” Meghna said. The film, which also features Vikrant Massey, is set to release on January 10, the same day Ajay Devgn’s Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior will hit the screens. Meghna is unfazed by the clash at the box office as she believes it is impossible to avoid competition. “Our population is of billion people and I am sure two films can find their own audience. We make so many films and we have just 52 weeks, it is impossible to make expect a solo release. So the math is simple,” she added.
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January 10, 2020
Indo-American News • Friday, JANUARY 10, 2020 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com