We shall overcome

NAKED EYE

A security litmus test

Starting February 28, a very crucial period in India's history begins.The Hero Honda hockey World Cup which begins on Sunday will be ashowcase for the world at large that India can hold an internationalsporting event without its security apparatus being compromised. Inmany ways 2010 will be the year of living dangerously. It can decidewhether India will teeter on the edge or surmount everything that thePakistani terror machine can throw at us. The sequence of events iscritical - the hockey World Cup is followed immediately by the 45 dayIPL. This begins on March 12 with the last couple of days overlappingwith the World Cup. Delhi has virtually been turned into a fortress.The Meridien near Janpath is swarming with security personnel as theteams are satying at the hotel. The Government realises the import ofsafe conduct of the World Cup and then IPL.
While the Meridien has been sanitised, just as the Dhyan ChandNational Stadium (venue of the World Cup) and a short bus ride fromMeridien, it is the IPL which will pose the biggest challenge to thesecurity establishment. Since multiple venues across the land areinvolved, the risk perception to an event of that magnitude aredifferent. But it is the government's imperative to ensure that itdisplays a zero tolerance to terror. Sadly, the Pune blast so close tothe hockey World Cup and after a hiatus of almost 14 months has almosteveryone in a tizzy. Both the World Cup and the IPL are major testcases as India goes on to host the Commonwealth Games in October.Anything untoward, the slightest problem, a whiff or hint of terrorduring the conduct of these events can have a gigantic impact on theCWG.
Ever since P Chidambaram took over as home minister, India has more orless been trouble free. Though the Maoist menace is increasing itspresence with the passing of each day, it is the terror modules whopresent a bigger threat percept in the short term. The alacrity andderring do that Maoists have shown is of course equally a cause forconcern. But they still haven't gathered courage to attack urbanagglomerates yet. And hopefully this won't happen. They pick on softrural targets after careful planning instead. However, the nature ofthe terror beast is different, it will constantly up the ante and seekout places where it can do maximum damage. It will seek soft, but highvalue and high profile targets which cause consternation in the mindsof the western world.
The modus operandi seems to have changed since 26/11. High valuewestern targets are now being sought. Attacks on iconic hospitalitytargets, Chabad House in Mumbai, German Bakery in the up marketKoregaon Park in Pune confirm this new tactic. That is why India needsto be vigilant, that much more careful. In Delhi over the last coupleof days, police and other security personnel have been carrying outchecks, holding up and hauling suspicious looking cargo and people. Itpays to be careful. If we don't, we run the risk of turning intoanother Pakistan. A nation which nobody would want to travel to.Terror mastermind Hafeez Saeed's call for jihad against India andinflamatory speeches given by those gethered at the Kashmir SolidarityDay conclave in Muzzafarabad recently are definite causes for worry.
Tourism has finally begun to pick up, while average room rates haven'tmoved up concurrently, occupancies are a lot better. India expectsmany visitors during the Commonwealth Games. Visitors from manydisparate nations. We need to protect these people, safeguard theirlives and generally provide a sanitised environment. The problem ishow do you police populous areas? It is extremely difficult. How doyou protect the citenzry? Elaborate security plans have been put inplace for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games, it will have to deliver.But before that we need to secure the hockey World Cup and IPLmatches.
This is the biggest task before the nation's security apparatus,otherwise India will degenerate into a no safe zone. It is up toChidamabaram to deliver in conjunction with the organisers of theseevents. Any mishap will be injurious and dangerous. It will lead toIndia Dangerous. Something that a vibrant democracy cannot afford.India will not be cowed down by these threats, which unfortunately aswe have seen over time are not empty anymore. They are veiled andextremely live and credible. They cannot be allowed to win. They haveto be overcome and resisted with force. Let Indian sport show the wayhand in hand with Chidambaram's security blanket. Securing the IPLwill be a bigger ask, though. But it can be done.

Sainath calls a spade a spade

RETROFIT

Target Media: Yes, all over again

Dang, media is once again in the news. Yup, the newswallahs are verymuch in the news again. Targeted in the crosshairs, they are onceagain everyone's favourite whipping boys. Sadly their role has beenthrown into stark relief again. And it does not make for happy reading. After a stirring bout of counter punching where media stood up defiantly on the Shahrukh Khan vs IPL issue and parallely on Ram Gopal Varma's so called expose of their trade - Rann, they are back to carrying the can. Unable to come to grips with bignews developments, the continue to be like Keystone Cops meets MarxBrothers, maladroit and floundering. Two trenchant critiques of medialand in the last couple of days have ensured that the spotlight isonce again on media. And believe me they find themselves in hot water.I could go on, but I would like to reproduce an excellent piece by PSainath in The Hindu for wider dispersal and dissemination.
Before that, there was a piece by Vrinda Gopinath in Mail Today wholaunched into SRK for being a naked media manipulator. Gopinath wrote,"Suddenly, both the Sena and SRK look stranegly similar, even thoughone uses brute force, the other cute righteousness - for just as theloutish Sena grabs eyeballs for a cause that serves its purpose,Bollywood's Brandasaurs also uses the media to delude and lure thepublic. In a market place that uses contract conditions to giveoneself an unequal position, rolls out the gigantic battleship of PR,marketing and media conglomerates tro create a monopoly, uses megastar power to stamp out any fair dissension, that SRK, is calledfascism." What Gopinath has done in her treatise is highlight thedeliberate intent behind SRK's 'cute righteousness' hand in glove ashe was with his favourite channel - NDTV. Here is how - But let ustalk about the unmentionable there were several niggling factors thatdid not match up to Bollywood Badshah's new social and politicalconsciousness. First SRK made the outburst in a news studio for thepromo of My Name is Khan, along with his co guest, best buddy anddirector of the film, Karan Johar." Strong words.
But wait till you read Sainath's demolition job. He wrote: Issuestoday have to be dressed up in ways certified by the corporate media.They have to be justified not by their importance to the public but bytheir acceptability to the media, their owners and sponsors. That theterrible tragedy in Pune demands serious, sober coverage is a truism.One of the side-effects of the ghastly blast has been unintended, though. The orgy of self-congratulation that marked the media coverage of just about everything since January is now in pause mode. Maybe the flak they copped for their handling of the November 2008 Mumbai terror blasts has something to do with it. But there is, so far, some restraint. At least, relative to the meal they made ofthe 2008 blasts.
Otherwise, through January and early February, the media stood upbravely for freedom of expression and some other constitutional rightsyou've never heard of. They slew the demons of lingual chauvinism andworse. And they're just spoiling for a fight with any other enemy ofour proud democracy. Just so long as they can keep Bollywood incentral focus.
Every issue is now reduced to a fight between individuals, heroic,villainous or just fun figures. So the complex issues behind theshunning of Pakistani cricketers by the Indian Premier League arereduced to a fight between Shah Rukh Khan and Bal Thackeray. (As onetelevision channel began its programme: “Shah Rukh stands tall. Hismessage to the nation ...”). The agonies of Bundelkhand are not abouthunger and distress in our Tiger Economy. They are just a stand-offbetween Rahul Gandhi and Mayawati. The issues of language andmigrations in Maharashtra are merely a battle between Rahul Gandhi andUddhav Thackeray. And the coverage is all about who blinked first, wholost face.
The devastating rise in food prices (let's skip the boring factors)and the mess in agriculture are a face-off between Prime MinisterManmohan Singh and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. The patheticsquabble within the Samajwadi Party is virtually a television serial.A blow-by-blow account of Amar Singh's valiant bid to retain hishonour against Mulayam Singh's yahoos. (Indeed, some Hindi channelshave begun using the language of theatre to report it — Act II, SceneII. And there was one programme which Mr. Amar Singh ended hummingverses from his favourite film song). The Bt brinjal story had mostlyonly one villain — Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh. He had novisible adversary unless you pose the humble Brinjal as the hero. Butthat won't work for television. The other, more sinister heroes inthis media story preferred to function from behind the scenes, plyingnewspapers and channels with faked data and false information. Hellhath no fury like a powerful corporate scorned, as the Minister islearning.
Issues? The same media that passionately fought for freedom ofexpression for a month from mid-January had billed the 2009 Lok Sabhapoll as one without issues. The country was actually burning withthem, but they didn't make good television either. More accurately,the dominant media hadn't the slightest intention of covering themwith any sincerity. The story of rising food prices remains one of theworst reported — no matter how much space it has been given. Sure,there have been exceptions — as in the case of some outstandingreports on Bundelkhand. But they've been just that. Exceptions.
If these last six weeks have been about freedom of expression, we haveneither. Or, at best, a twisted freedom and a tortured expression.There is little freedom for thousands of journalists in the corporatemedia and the few editors who still believe we ought to be doing abetter job of informing the public on the key issues of our time.There's very little freedom for readers or viewers, too. For days onend, it didn't matter which television channel you switched to, it wasSRK on all of them. When that movie drew to a close, the 'Rahul Gandhistorms Sena den' film was released and sustained. A visit of somehours produced days of footage. But with the end of Mr. Gandhi's visitto Mumbai, it was back to Shah Rukh Khan. Of course, viewers had thefreedom to choose, which sets us apart from totalitarian states. Theycould choose any channel, from among many, to watch SRK saying exactlythe same thing, at the same time. And they will be free to chooseagain when the figure is Amitabh Bachchan or Aamir Khan.
If what we've watched on critical issues these past weeks isexpression, we're through scraping the barrel. We're drilling holes inits bottom. Many corporate-owned media houses have sacked hundreds ofjournalists and non-journalist staff since late 2008. Hundreds ofother journalists have suffered wage cuts. Of course, the ‘right to know' ofreaders and viewers does not extend to this information. Why scare thepoor lambs? And how can you tell them the truth about that whileeveryday crowing about the once-again booming economy? It might leadaudiences to ask that dull, boring question: “If things are so good,why are you axing so many people?” Answering that means revealing theinterests the corporate media have in the fate of the stock market. Itmeans talking about their need to keep the shares of the companiesthey are linked to (or have heavily invested in) afloat and buoyant.That is regardless of how rotten they are within. No matter how theirown shares in those companies were obtained. And no agonising over howunethical the means used to keep them heated. This was in part behindthe fatwa issued by some newspapers to their staff banning the ‘R'word last year. Recession is what happens in the United States. InIndia, it was a slowdown — and it's already turning aroundbrilliantly. The hundreds of sacked and ruined staff have littlefreedom to speak of. Even the professional communicators within themcannot tell their own audiences their story. Cannot tell them theywere laid off, let alone tell them why.
Leave aside escaping a recession, India Shining is back. The coverstory of a leading weekly gushes over the fantastic ‘rural resurgence'that is, in fact, saving all of us. Farmers are doing just great.Drip, micro-sprinkler, and other micro irrigation, the stories in itsuggest, played a major role in this hidden-from-the-human-eyerevival. This resurgence is seen more in urban media than in ruralIndia. And the proliferation of such stories across the media spectrumreflects, in part, the strenuous media efforts of a majorMaharashtra-based company. A corporate group that spends a fortune onpropaganda and whose interests in this line of irrigation are pushedby some of the most powerful members of the Union Cabinet. Oddly,stories such as these come out even as the government's ownprojections for growth in agriculture are dismaying.
The main ‘rural resurgence' story hit the stands the same day theNational Crime Records Bureau officially brought the 2008 data forfarm suicides on to its website. The 16,196 suicides that year broughtthe tally of farmers' suicides since 1997 to 199,132. That's thelargest single, sustained wave of such suicides ever recorded inhistory — anywhere. Guess nobody told them about the resurgence.Farmers in 2008 did know of that year's loan waiver, but it didn'tstop large numbers of them from taking their lives.
The ‘rural resurgence' story comes after any number of thegovernment's own committees, commissions and reports suggest that itrevise poverty figures upwards. Whether it's the Suresh Tendulkarcommittee, the BPL Expert Group, or earlier the National Commissionfor Enterprises in the Unorganised sector. Or a U.N. study whichreports that 34 million more Indians remained poor or joined theirranks in 2008 and 2009, because of the ‘slowdown.' That is, 34 millionmore than would have met that fate prior to the 2008 crisis. Itmatters little if Census data show us that 8 million cultivators quitagriculture between just 1991 and 2001. (That is, on average, wellover 2,000 a day, every day for 10 years.) Or that the 2011 Censusjust months from now will show us how many more have fled agriculturesince then, un-seduced by the rural resurgence. Never mind the facts.One giant private irrigation company stands to make its already hugefortune bigger. Good for growth.
The ABC of Indian media roughly translates as Advertising, Bollywoodand Corporate power. Some years ago, the ‘C' would have been cricket,but that great sport is fast becoming a small cog in the large wheelof corporate profit. (In the IPL, the ABC of media converge, evenmerge.) And, of course, everything but everything, has to bebollywoodised. To now earn attention, issues have to be dressed uponly in ways certified by the corporate media. They have to bejustified not by their importance to the public but by theiracceptability to the media, their owners and sponsors. The moreentrenched that ABC gets, the greater the danger to the language ofdemocracy the media so proudly claim to champion."
Absolutely fascinating, a confluence of powerful lobbies andinterests. I couldn't have said it or written it better. A dirge whichsymbolises and typifies the times that we live in. Out of sync withreality, caught somewhere in cuckoo land. Enough said.

(exchange4media)

Abdicating your position, HT ishtyle

GROUND ZERO

REVISITING THE CORE

When you draw a concentric circle, you are basically drawing circleswith a common centre. At the very centre is the core. In newspaperparlance, this core is represented by the city that you are in. Youtry and embody, amplify, mirror, typifyand even embrace the city'saspirations andproblems through your pages. This way you connect with the readerswho purchase your paper as part of a daily habit in India. While yougive them what they want to know, you also relay their problems andhassles to a larger audience through the news pages. You become afacilitator for them. You highlight drawbacks in the system, thelassitude and inertia that brings ineptness in our administration andmoreover you empower resident welfare association by giving them avoice. Thus you evolve into becoming the city's lifeline in a mannerof speaking. Cause, effect and panacea all rolled into one. Great citynewspapers have performed yeoman service to the cities in their base ofoperations. Yes, at the core is the Metro and its coverage. Anyway, ifyou are wondering where I am going with this line of thinking, bepatient.
Sometime last year during the height of the epic crisis that crippledAmerica's newspaper industry, Michael Sokolove wrote in the NYT,"Smallernewspapers, those with circulations under 50,000, are considered thehealthiest part of the industry. “They’re not making 30 percent profitmargins like they once did, but most of them are doing fine,” JohnMorton, a newspaper analyst who has followed the industry for decades,told me. Most analysts predict that the papers with anational profile and brand — The New York Times, The Washington Post,The Wall Street Journal and USA Today — will find a way to survive andstay in print. (It must be noted that few can say exactly how thiswill happen.) The most endangered segment is the one occupied by TheInquirer and other big metro papers that once dominated their regions,in some cases had national and even international reach but now struggle tofully staff bureaus in their state capitals. Among those currently inbankruptcy are the papers that are a part of the vast Tribune Company,including The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The BaltimoreSun, The Orlando Sentinel and The Hartford Courant. What the bankruptand most at-risk papers have in common is that they recently changedhands and the new owners took on debt — immense debt, in the case ofthe Tribune Company, which listed obligations of $13 billion when itfiled for bankruptcy in 2008."
Along with my morning cuppa, I need to read a paper which gives mewidth and depth of news coverage. Tastes and preferences vary fromMetro or City specific news to politics or sport or business, but thebottomline is that I should be informed daily of what is happeningaround me. The Metro-centric model is the one that has resulted inoptimising efficiencies; a confluence of energy, effort and time ongood, solid city based stories. Stories which inform and make thereader aware. No, this is not a masterclass in news coverage, thoughit might sound like that. It is a reiteration of a simple credo - onewhich several large newspapers seem to have forgotten. But the Timesof India has redoubled its efforts and energies into zeroing deeperinto this concentric circle or core.
Bingo, as one former editor of mine used to say (and all of us wouldquietly chuckle), the perfect recipe for success in the city. TakeThursday for example, ToI led with two great city stories written bythe same extremely 'busy' reporter. Andwhat did competitor HT do, it led with the banal Nitin Gadkari (whoincidentally I saw singing at the Indore conclave with an orchestra inthe background, if you please - Zindagi, kaisi yeh paheli - what nextfrom the partywith a difference, I guffawed?) had Hockey teams seek allclear on terror with a box - Delhi boy is 11th Pune blast victim, aninterview with Omar Abdullah, Indians eighth most attractive peopleand of course the token city story - Warrant out: Sajjan faces arrest.
ToI had a gangbuster Metro lead - Hyper security: Faridabad areas cut offfrom Delhi - Many don't reach office, road to be sealed for 10 dayswith a pix of a barricaded Surajkund Road. A small box accompanied thestory - 17,000 cops on 3 km for hockey tourney. High handedness,overzealousness, nervousness - call it what you will - "Residents ofthe swanky apartment complexes around Surajkund, in Delhi's backyard,got a rude shock on Wednesday morning when they found themselvesabruptly cut off from the national capital. Working under the shadowof terror, the traffic police blocked Surajkund Road, the main arterybetween this area and Delhi, without any prior notice for theCommonwealth Shooting Championship beginning at Dr Karni SinghShooting Range in Tughlaqabad on Thursday leading to total chaos.
"With the other access to Delhi from Faridabad areas, Mathura Road,already choked due to construction of a Metro line and flyover — andgenerally given a wide berth — there were massive day-long jams on allthe roads. Several office-goers were forced to head back home. Worse,this is going to be the situation for the next 10 days. "The SurajkundRoad, from Mehrauli-Badarpur Road upto Surajkund (5km), will remainclosed from 7am to 6 pm till February 28 in view of securityarrangements for the shooting championship. Since security is ourparamount concern, commuters are going to face some inconvenience astraffic volumes are very high," said Satyendra Garg, JointCommissioner of Police (traffic). This has left people wonderingwhat's in store during the Commonwealth Games.
"When residents of Charmwood Village, Eros Garden, Dayal Bagh and evenfrom other Faridabad sectors went out in the morning, they werediverted to Prahladpur Road. The result was a gridlock with commuterstaking three to four hours just to get to MB Road. Several peoplereturned home. "I left for work at 8.30 but got caught in one of theworst jams I've ever seen," said Nanda Paithankar, a resident ofCharmwood Village, who works for WHO. "I decided to head back home. Ittook over two hours just to go around the boundary wall and enter thecolony from the next gate."
Now isn't this a story that matters? Isn't it something that affectsthe lives of the readers? It is not an earth shattering exclusive, butit is a story which reflects the ToI mandate of going back to the Core- to its readers and their problems. A paper for the community, onlymore crassly commercial and dabbling in assorted peripheralactivities, yet not taking its eyes of the ball. A ball lying slapbang in thecentre of the concentric circle. It cannot be that nobody in HT was aware of theFaridabad blockade, that Mathura Road was jammed and that a generalstate of disrepair prevailed on the Surajkund Road, the lifelinebetween Delhi and Faridabad. Incidentally Faridabad is 25 km south ofDelhi for the uninitiated. Part of an ever burgeoning National CapitalRegion. It is also the most populated city of Haryana, generating 60percent of the state's revenues. So, I cannot believe for a momentthat no one in HT had a clue about the transport gridlock betweenFaridabad and Delhi.
After all HT does have a credible Delhi edition and Mathura Road andFaridabad are very much in and around Delhi. The woes of the residentsof Delhi will always make news, they could pertain to bi pa sa (no,not the actress Basu) but bijli, pani and sadak. On Thursday morning,I got a couple of callsfrom friends asking whether I had faced problems in Mathura Road. Alasthey had forgotten that I had moved from my earlier office in Mathura Roadto Nehru Place. Anyway, that was the impact of the story. Which meansthat news prioritisation at HT leaves a lot to be desired. Newsmanagement is in disarray.
The second lead in ToI was equally worrisome - "A 44-year-olddecorated Army officer was hit by an unidentified vehicle earlyWednesday morning and left lying on Africa Avenue in south Delhi forhours. The police noticed him there, but surmised that he was dead.About three hours later, he was taken to AIIMS trauma centre where hewas declared "brought dead". The family of Major Alok Singh, who wasdirector administration at KPMG after taking early retirement frommilitary service, is distraught — it feels Maj Singh might have beenalive had not the police been so casual in dealing with the accident.The doctors seem to agree.
"Whether a trauma victim is dead or not, is not for the police todecide, nor are they trained for it," said Dr Amit Gupta, assistantprofessor of surgery who is attached with the AIIMS trauma centre.There is a "golden hour" within which if a trauma victim gets medicalattention he might be revived. The incident has not just brought backthe harsh spotlight on the heartless city which has little time, leaveaside a sense of duty, for accident victims, it has also raisedquestions about the training of police — whether they know the do'sand don'ts of dealing with accidents. Maj Singh left his SafdarjungEnclave home at 6am for his usual morning walk at Deer Park. Henormally returned by 8am, but when he didn't until 8.30am, his wifecalled his cellphone. It was answered by a cop. "The policeman said hehad met with an accident and was being taken to hospital," said RahulJain, a friend and neighbour. "
This moving story was a travesty and fortunately HT had it, but as usual it wasburied on one of the Metro pages. When will HT, part of the city'sfabric and underlying ethos realise that it needs to go back toleveraging its Metro resources. It needs to display an aggressiveintent to regain this space. It needs to ramp up its Metro coverageand win back the readers. A visually distracting design may be good,but content focusing on the city's problems is paramount. This is thebiggest weakness in HT's armour; not that politics, business and sportare any better, but Metro as I have said is Core. And you don't vacateor abdicate the Core. Stand your ground is the first thing taught inmilitary combat, the ground of tactical warfare's rudimentaryeducation inculcates this desire. Crime reporters of the kind thatinhabited reporting apparatuses have practically disappeared. Thenewspaper world has new priorities, but change is the only constant.For HT to make an 'make you sit up and take notice' impression again,it needs to go back to Metro. Of course it will also need to beef upother parts of the content mainframe, otherwise the slowlydisappearing gap between ToI and HT will only get wider.

A fickle Box Office

RETROFIT

Why MNIK didn't work!

Friday after Friday, the fate of stars and their bankrollers - theproducers and bulge bracket distributors - is decided on the boxoffice across the world. Hit ya flop is an adage as old as the hillsin B Town. First day first show has become the centrifuge of allconversations in B Town more than ever with the emergence of theparadigm game changers - the multiplex and overseas market. So, thefocal point is not just on first day first show but increasingly onthe opening weekend, onthe lines of the US. With many Yash Raj films like Fanaa, Dhoom 2, andmore recently with 3 Idiots a new term was introduced in the lexiconof B Town - the Rs 100 crore gross B.O collection over the first week.Gone are the days of 100 days and silver jubilee and golden jubilees.Rajendra Kumar for instance was known as Jubilee Kumar.Amitabh Bachchan in his prime used to have his movies running foreverand several concurrently at that. I remember Yash Chopra once tellingme that - this is when Dilwale Dulhaniya became a monster hit in themid 90s - he had never seen so much money in his life. That I thoughtwas a staggering comment for a man who has the best body of work inHindi cinema. People think of him only as the purveyor of chiffonromances, but Yashji has made Waqt, Ittefaq, Aadmi Aur Insaan, Deewar,Trishul, Kaala Pathar, Mashaal and many more - seminal cinema whichhas left deep imprints in the minds of the savants of celluloid.
But cinema's commercial landscape has changed indelibly in recenttimes. The big bang opening weekend determines the course of the film.Ticket price inflation has added to the cash registers and thecontours of calculating collections has metamorphosed. Greater Mumbaiand National Capital Region - Delhi now contribute as much as 50 percent of all box office revenues. The monetisation of overseasterritories is another tectonic shift. Something that did not existearlier. Yash Chopra and Karan Johar's cinema has opened new vistas asnon resident Indians have begun to flock to Hindi films in disparatedestinations. Between Greater Mumbai, NCR-Delhi and overseasterritories, the battle is pretty much won.
On Saturday, I went to watch My Name is Khan at a Gurgaon multiplexwhich normally is cheaper than others, but to my dismay ticket priceshad been jacked up for the Fox Searchlight release. Anyway once thatwas out of the way, I enjoyed the movie immensely. Maybe the MamaJenny Wilhelmina, Georgia sequences were overdone, but the movie wastaut and endearing. I loved it. It was vintage SRK, but in a new moresensitive avatar. I liked him in Chak De as well, but here was anextremely restrained and emotive SRK. The row behind us hated thefilm, probably because they failed to understand the nuances. Thetypical - yeh to bakwas hai - litany was heard. And there and then Ithought to myself; will this movie be a gangbuster hit? Will everybodytake to this film and accept the line - My Name is Khan and I am not aterrorist? My fear was that this movie would berejected by the masses and appreciated by the classes, aka multiplexesin prominent urban agglomerates. Of course, the NRIs would flock tothe theatres because SRK is a big draw with them. With this bittersweet taste aboutthe film, I picked up the ToI on Monday morning and saw - After 3Idiots, MNIK adds to BO bonanza. The film critic Nikhat Kazmi gavedetails of how MNIK despite all the problems with its release inMaharashtra owing to the Sena's call for a ban on the film had doneexceedingly well at the B.O.
The same afternoon, I read a more illuminating piece on rediff.com bySyed Firdaus Ashraf. It said that - "My Name is Khan opened with abang at the box office, earning a whopping Rs 85 crores (US $18m), butit saw a drop in business fromMonday as the word of the mouth was not good enough to sustain thefilm. Though many critics loved it and so did the classes, the massesoverall seem to be in a rejection mode. Says Komal Nahta, Bollywoodtrade analyst, "On the whole, My Name Is Khan is far from entertainingand also too boring for the general masses. For the heavy budget atwhich it has been made, it will keep its worldwide distributors (FoxSearchlight) in the red. Business inbig cities, especially in South India, Muslim centres andoverseas will be better but it will be below the mark in North Indiaas also in smaller centres and single-screen cinemas. It may beappreciated by the class audience but the masses will reject thefilm."
Once the Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray gave the clarion call toshun the film, the buzz reached fever pitch. Sena wanted ShahrukhKhan to apologise to the nation after he argued for Pakistaniplayers's induction in the IPL. This created a furore and Thackerayordered Shiv Sainiks to see that the film was not released in Mumbaiand Maharashtra. It then became a political hotpotato as the ruling alliance in the State tried its level best toensure that the film's screening took place uninterrupted. Rediff.comwent on to say - "The curiosity value is over, it seems. The picturehas suffered a considerable drop in collections on Monday," said VinodMirani, another Bollywood trade analyst.Added Amod Mehra, another trade analyst, "At this moment, it appearsthe film will not be able to recover the cost because it has been soldat a high price."
Asked about critics loving the film and some of them even giving fivestars rating, Mehra said, "Earlier there were paid previews of thefilm, now there is paid review of the film." A very dangerous andtelling comment of the prevailing system. Naysayersnotwithstanding, the film had a spectacular opening for the firstweekend. Now this was an interesting and refreshing departure fromwhat was being reported everywhere. Let us understand that MNIK was avery expensive film. Fox Star had paid a bomb for it (Rs 90 crore).The film was promoted very aggressively by SRK himself and the troikaof Kajol, karan Johar and himself were practically parked intelevision studios. I think they were on NDTV every single night, if Iam not mistaken.
On Tuesday morning, I saw another story in ET with the headline - Myname is chasing 3 idiots. Was the Fox, Johar, SRK publicity machineryin overdrive? But ET's story had the same cryptic message that therediff story had earlier. It said, "Film analysts believe the moviehas done very well internationally, though in India it did better inurban centres than in smaller centres." Nahata was quoted here as wellsaying more or less the same thing that he had said to rediff had said- It did muchbetter in international markets compared with domestic market. TaranAdarsh, another film analyst mirrored this opinion in the story. Atthis point, I thought what the hell, let us check businessofcinema.comwhich is more or less accurate about ground zero as far as B.O isconcerned.
This what it reported - My Name Is Khan has grossed Rs 902 million (Rs90.2 crore) worldwide in its opening weekend. Even the fact that itwas a non-holiday 3-day weekend vis a vis both the previous highgrossing films, which had 4-day Christmas weekends, did not prove tobe a deterrent for Shah Rukh Khan. The movie has smashed existingglobal opening records in every country in which it was released thisweekend. My Name is Khan has scorched screens worldwide and raked inRs 902 million (Rs 90.2 crore) ($ 19 million) worldwide in three daysmaking it the biggest ever three-day collection worldwide ever. "Themost exciting part is that the worldwide collections jumped every dayfrom Friday to Saturday to Sunday. This shows that the audience isabsolutely loving Rizvan and Mandira," says Vijay Singh, CEO Fox StarStudios. Sunday GBO in markets like US, Australia, UK & Middle Eastset new records for the Biggest single day internationally for aBollywood movie. Just to give a sense of scale, the overall weekendcollections of MNIK have been double of closest competitor 3 Idiotsworldwide. Sanford Panitch, president of FIP, was esctatic over theresults, saying, "While initially driven by the power of thisextraordinary cast and director, it is My Name Is Khan as a film thathas captivated audiences everywhere we have opened. An incrediblestart to this powerful and moving film." In India, despite the issuesin Maharashtra, Gujarat, Indore and other centres on Friday & part ofSaturday, the film has opened exceptionally well. In states where thefilm opened normally, including Delhi-UP, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu,Kerala, the collections have been the highest ever."
An accurate assessment of the situation. Yes, the film hit the bullseye on the opening weekend, but its complex storyline has not beengrasped by all and sundry. There is another trendline emerging here,if MNIK has actually fared badly after its stunning opening. ThatHindi film audiences are not willing to accept too much of terror andthe Islamic backdrop. Look at what happened to Kurbaan. Then again acouple of swallows don't make a summer. After all, New York did verywell. But Kabir Khan's handling of the plot was subtle and diffusedtill the second half when it exploded in your face. Again, New Yorkwas lapped up by urban audiences and it was the first movie to bereleased after the multiplex-producer stand off. The dam just burstand a fresh casting did the trick.
MNIK was after Chak De SRK's greatest acting performance. Week one andweek two will determine its fate and future course. B Town ismerciless, replete with crabs. I remember Subhash Ghai built up Yadeinto such an extent that the world expected the Hrithik and Kareenapairing to deliver a blockbuster. The movie, sorry gobbledygookcrashed and Ghai has never been the same again. Ask Akshay Kumar, hewill tell you that you cannot take the audience for granted. Not for aday or a moment.

Viru jaisa koi nahin

NAKED EYE

Demolition Man

Is Virender Sehwag really getting his due? Isn't he the mostdestructive batsman to walk the playing field since VivianRichards? Viru as he is popularly known has the record to back up hisclaims. But more than that it is the X factor in his batting whichmakes him so dangerous. There is very little movement of feet, but thebulwark of his batting prowess is his amazing hand eye coordinationand of course his stillness at the crease. Even as he throws his handsat a ball outside the off stump or whacks a perfectly good ballthrough the on side, it is this quality of a still head and a eagle'seye which markshim out as a special player. Richards instilled fear in the opposingbowling camp because of his peerless arrogance while striding to thewicket. His imperious strokeplay did the rest. And Richards playedlike that right throughout his career. Viru has displayed the same traitover his career. Footloose and fancyfree, he fears no bowler and bybatting at the top, he drives home the advantage by giving you a greatstart. Viru is not known to dawdle at the crease, he is a punisher.Tough and unrelenting, he knows how to play the game only his way -belt the ball and send it to the pickets as quickly as it comes tohim. This way he often wades into the opposition and changes thecomplexion of the game. Take his most recent inninmgs at the Edenagainst South Africa.
By attacking from the word go, he is decisive and gets the upper hand.Viru is a counter puncher who as a rule punches above his weight.Reputations don't bother him, the best attacks have been put to swordby him. He may lack consistency, but that is the way he plays thegame. When paens of praise are heaped on the Fab Four - SachinTendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Saurav Ganguly, one tends toforget Viru's contribution. A major part of his career has overlappedwith these four batters and he is not really given his due. Viru'snatural inclination is to attack and as he has proved over many years, whileform may be fickle, his class is permanent. When he arrived on theinternational scene, he was seen as a Tendulkar clone, but his primaltalent has taken him to the next level of competence. At Kolkata, hescored his 19th Test hundred in his 76th Test, a better conversionrate than both Ganguly and Laxman. Over the last eight years, Viru hasplayed many audacious innings in Test and one day cricket and bowlersare still to figure him out. Once a weakness or chink is spotted,word travels quickly in locker rooms around the world. Nobody has beenable to get a fix on Viru's gumption and stroke making ability. Thesheer bat speed that he generates makes him one of the most violentcricketers in the world.
In his debut Test against South Africa in Bloemfontein in 2001-02,Viru gave glimpses of his immense talent when he stitched up a 210 runpartnership in tandem with Sachin Tendulkar after India wasfloundering at 68 for 4. Many thought that the master and pupil werebatting toegther. There are many shots that Viru plays like Tendulkar,none better than than the flick to the onside. But Viru is brutal, adestroyer of bowling. What makes him remarkable is that he doesn'ttake his foot off the pedal and can play big innings' regularyly.Laxman who is an incomparable artist has 15 Test hundreds in 110Tests, while Ganguly hit 16 hundreds in 113 Tests. Ganguly scored 7212runs while Laxman has amassed 7136 runs in Test cricket. Against thisViru has scored 6689 runs in 76 Tests till the completion of the firstessay in the ongoing Kolkata Test. While much is made of Laxman'svirtuousity on the on side, Viru's steely wrists bring a kinetic forceto bear. In fact Dilip Vengsarkar who played 116 Tests, also scoredonly 17 Tests and a total of 6868 runs. Only Mohd Azharuddin has donebetter than Viru in terms of scoring centuries. He played 99 Tests,scored 22 hundreds but totalled only 6215 runs. Barring Rahul Dravid(29), Sachin Tendulkar (47), Sunil Gavaskar (34) and Mohd Azharuddin(22), Viru is now the highest scorer of centuries for India.
Viru's forte is the pace at which he scores and the uncanny abilitywith which he demoralises the opposition. This allows India to dictateterms in Test and one day games. Sometimes the demolition derby onview is simply breath taking for it leaves the opposing side gasping.Viru's journey thus far has been littered with poor form, beingdropped from the side and injuries; despite which he has scored runsat a very fast clip. If Viru plays another 25 Tests, which I am surehe will, then one can safely assume that he would have scored close to9000 Test runs and about 24 hundreds. That is an awesome record tohave. Viru, according to me, would definitely be one of the mostinfluential batsmen that India has produced ever.
I know, I know that I am saying this knowing fully well that India hasproduced Sachin Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman and Ganguly in recent timesand Gavaskar, Vishwanath, Vengsarkar, Azharuddin in the past. But nonehave played like Viru. He is the demolition man for India. He isinfluential for he alters the course of games with his decisive styleof batsmanship. A mixture of daredevilry, derring do and bravado. As Isaid initially, he has the X factor, a testosterone backed blazingrapier like bat which punishes. Unfazed and oblivious of the havocthat he causes, Viru backs himself to belt the ball. There are timesthat he looks ungainly, but that doesn't matter. Throw in another 12hundreds and 7036 runs in 219 one dayers and Viru is a ferociousbatsman. At the same time, what is interesting is that Viru is anunder achiever in one day cricket and a super achiever in Testcricket, borne out by his stats. Two triple centuries, a 293 and asmany as 11 other scores of 150 plus in his 19 centuries is a testimonyto his destructive ability.
My sense is that Viru will flower more once he moves out of the shadowof the banyan trees in the Indian side - Sachin, Dravid, Laxman.Undoubtedly, he will emerge to become the Indian batting mainstayafter they retire. The next generation of Indian batters led by GautamGambhir will revolve around the fulcrum called Viru. Viru's penchantfor big scores makes him an even more dreaded opponent. Viru has sixdouble centuries and that tells you that he has an insatiableappetite. Viru now stands on the cusp of true greatness. All he has todo is play in the same aggressive mien and the runs will keep coming.

I am an Indian, says SRK

GROUND ZERO

HIS NAME UNFORTUNATELY IS KHAN

His name unfortunately is Khan. In this increasingly xenophobic worldthat is the cross he has to bear. What is alarming is that for mostpart civil society has chosen to maintain a deafening silence on thisissue. In an atmosphere where there is pall of fear over the city,perhaps this silence is understandable. So, if Amitabh Bachchan wastargeted by one Thackeray, Shahrukh Khan is being targeted by another.Both practice the politics of hate and divisiveness. But that is notthe subject matter of this treatise. The fact that creative people areat the receiving end of this hate campaign is what is more worrying.
I might be a bad actor, a bad team owner, a bad businessman; but I aman Indian. My integrity is non negotiatble. These are some of thesnatches of SRK's recent interviews and tweets. Here are some more - Inthe depth of winter, I finally learned that within me, there lay aninvincible summer. Albert Camus writes...There is no sun withoutshadow and it is essential to know the night. And then probably themost damaging and devastating, where Khan must be posing existentialistquestions about his own being - Nationality - Indian. Born in - NewDelhi. Owe everything to - Mumbai. Loves - My country India, my familyand freedom. Desire - Entertain all.
Then why is this Khan being targeted? Simply because as an IPL teamowner he decided to make his frustration and anger well known aboutnot purchasing Pakistani cricketers during the IPL auction on January19. Actually, Khan broke the prevailing law of omerta which bound thevarious franchise owners. There was obviously some sort of tacitunderstanding between the eight owners in that no one would bid forPakistani players. After a couple of days, Khan broke the code ofsilence. And this is costing him. Remember that fifty percent of allbox office revenues in India come from Greater Mumbai and NationalCapital Region Delhi. The emergence of multiplexes has ensured thatthe mathematics of box office collections has been altered indeliblyover the last few years. So, Rupert Murdoch's Fox Searchlight, KaranJohar's Dharma Productions and Shahrukh Khan's Red ChilliesEntertainment is getting hit where it hurts.
From all accounts and this is culled from film frat conversations, MyName is Khan was certain to get a gangbuster opening. Many expected itto match the recent 3 Idiots punch for punch. In any case, SRK filmsgenerate immense curiousity and get big bang openings because of thestar and promotional power of SRK himself. But this movie was livingup to its billing because of the senstivity that it had displayed.Which brings me back to my pet peeve. I know that I defended mediarecently on these pages because I felt that Lalit Modi or a Ram GopalVarma could not pick needlessly on media to paper over their owninadequacies; but didn't media, in the main news telly once againoverplay its hand this time too. By going ballistic on My Name is Khanand the Sena's opposition to SRK's comments on Pakistan players, itallowed the problem to magnify into something with gargantuanproportions. The result is that the Sena knew that it was gettingmileage for its tactics and because SRK's film MNIK was to be releasedso close to the IPL player auction, it allowed them political space tobounce back from the fringes. The Sena's eclipse after a drubbing inthe elections didn't leave it too much space to manoeuvre. SRK becamea hot button subject. Hence the Sena's rebound.
By feeding that frenzy, media has given Sena that much more ammo tolaunch a virtual blockade of the film. The threat of intimidation andphysical intimidation at that makes the best of us baulk. On Thursdayevening, the Dharma Productions office became the hub ofconfabulations. Between 6 pm and 10.30 pm, there was no real consensusemerging from the deliberations. The fear factor had paralysed one andall. Multiplex owners feared damage as did malls where these screenswere present. As were the shop owners within the malls who had nothingto do with the movie per se, but due to the proximity to the screens,they feared arson and vandalism. When Fox Searchlight's tersestatement finally appeared as late as 11 pm, it didn't offer anyclarity.
The sad part is that this Khan is being targeted because his name isKhan. If his name was Kapoor, Sharma or Jain, would he have suffered this fateis something that we need to ask ourselves as Indians? SRK is as muchan Indian as all of us. I don't think we ever doubted that. So, whyshould he suffer? In a democracy, free and fair speech is allowed. SRKdid not say anything blasphemous, nor did he say anything antinational. I might not agree with SRK on Pakistani playersparticipating in IPL, but will I stop watching his films? The answeris an emphatic no. Yes, I can argue that why did SRK agree to bend inthe face of the pressure from other team owners while not bidding forPakistani players? As a team owner, he could have broken ranks and bidfor the player of his choice, but he didn't. Instead he went withShane Bond, a New Zealander. He could have bid for Mohd Aamer or UmarGul, equally good fast bowlers.
In all this drama, the role of the Congress-NCP government inMaharashtra needs to be examined. ET in a very strong editorial lineon the issue put things into perspective and noted - Maharashtra chiefminister Ashok Chavan may well have decreed that Shiv Sena workerswould not be allowed to run riot at cinema halls showing ShahrukhKhan’s movie, My name is Khan. He must, however, be resolute and putdown such strong arm tactics with force. It is not enough to deployhome guards at some cinemas. What is under attack is not cinema butthe idea of India as a composite democracy. To allow the attackers anyleeway is to fail to defend Indian democracy . After seemingly endlessbuckling down to one form of chauvinism or another, at least one majorpolitical leader has dared to call the Shiv Sena’s bluff. And thatleader, Rahul Gandhi, happens to be Mr Chavan’s leader as well. Thechief minister has a choice before him: to follow up on what Mr Gandhisaid, with administrative action on the ground, or to fall in linebehind Mr Sharad Pawar, who appeased the Shiv Sena chief by beseechinghim to spare Australian players who take part in the Indian PremierLeague. The chief minister must deploy the entire might of the stateto defend democracy against chauvinism operating as organisedthuggery. If necessary, he must raise the ante and take the battledirectly to the Sena leadership, rather than merely act against itsfootsoldiers, who behave as if they have a birthright to run Mumbai asthey like.
Some might quibble that taking on the Sena about its hostility tonorth Indians is not the same thing as defending Shahrukh Khan’spenchant for Pakistani players in IPL. As a team owner, Mr Khan hadthe opportunity to bid for Pak players and chose not to; so when hecries foul later, it rings hollow. The point is not Khan, on or offthe screen. It is that the Sena cannot be allowed to take the law intoits own hands and impose its will on the rest of the populace. Homeminister RR Patil’s actions will speak for where his mentor Mr Pawarstands on defending the idea of India. Mr Chavan’s actions will tellthe nation whether he has it in him to be a chief minister. The peopleand government must collectively show that democracy will prevail overorganised violence."
The role of Sharad Pawar also needs to be investigated. Rahul Gandhi'swhirlwind trip to Mumbai cocked a snook at the Sena. The groundbeneath their feet had slipped, but by visiting Matoshree ostensiblyto broker peace over IPL security for Aussie players, Pawar allowedthe Sena to recoil. By asking SRK to apologise for his IPL remarks,Sena has managed to make a comeback. The politics of hate is onceagain centrestage. It is the battle over price rise at the centrebetween the Congress and the NCP boss Pawar that has spilled over toMumbai. And it is this nuance of the Pawar versus Congress joust thathas been captured by Mail Today's editorial which makes forinteresting reading. It said, "It is sad that the Shiv Sena and actorSRK may have become mere pawns in the greater conflict that is beingfought at Battleground Mumbai. The campaign that the Sena beganagainst the movie MNIK following Mr Khan's statement that he wantedPakistani players in his IPL cricket team seems to have spilled overinto something bigger - that is, a battle between NCP leader Pawar andthe Congress party. Hence, the Congress party which runs the stategovernment in Maharashtra with the NCP needs to put its foot down ontwo issues. One, that the Shiv Sena with its mindless chauvanismcannot hold a city to ransom. And, two as law and order is a statesubject in our federal structure, it will have to protect the city'sresidents at all costs from the violence that could be precipitated.Both Pawar and Bal Thackeray are past masters at the politics ofopportunism, and if ever an issue was needed to deflect public opinionfrom other pressing issues such as price rise and internal security,this is it. After all, it involves India's best known film star and itinvolves cricket, India's unofficial national sport."
By living and working for 16 years in Mumbai, a city known for itskinetic energy, I always considered myself a Mumbaikar. So besottedwas I with the city's culture and energy that I wrote what manyconsider a seminal work on Mumbai cricket - Guts & Glory:The BombayCricket Story in 2001. It was an anecdotal journey about Mumbaicricket, carved out from conversations with everyone from Madhavmantri to Ajit Wadekar to Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar. Ittraced the genesis of the cricketing powerhouse as all the cricketersturned raconteurs poured their memories and hearts out to me. The bookpublished by Rupa & Co was my ode to the city that I loved immensely.To further my professional career, I came back the same year to thecity that I grew up in - Delhi, joining Hindustan Times. Strangely thebook was released soon after I returned to Delhi; by one of Mumbai'smost famous sons - Sunil Gavaskar - in the capital. Now when I readabout the practioners of this politics of hate and their handiwork, Iwonder whether this is the same Mumbai that I left behind.

Is CLT20 moving abroad?

BEHIND THE NEWS

It is now more or less certain that the second edition ofthe Airtel T 20 Champions League will take place outside India thisSeptember. While T20 CL Commissioner and chairman Lalit Modi is notwilling to commit on anything just yet, he did tell sportzpower thatas many as four regions are in the hunt to host the tourney this year.Sportzpower has learnt that South Africa may be the frontrunner onceagain to stage the event.
With the IPL Governing Council warming up to the US CricketAssociation in Dubai late last week, the United States may emerge asone of the players. Though the acute lack of proper cricketinfrastructure will play spoilsport. Which leaves South Africa, theready to wear sporting and cricket destination, as also Australia andthe West Indies. With the Aussies scheduled to visit India thisOctober, Modi was forced to bring the CL T 20 schedule forward by amonth. Which also brings a rain threat to the cricket. This canjeopardise the matches in India.
Modi knowingly wants to avoid an overlap with monsoon rain and is thuscontemplating moving cricket's number one prize money franchiseoutside India. The problem is venues. With the Aussies touring Indiain October and the Commonwealth Games runnning in Delhi betweenOctober 3 and 14, security will also be an issue. The Aussiesthemselves will return and begin preparing to win back the Ashes intheir summer season. India tours South Africa after hosting theAussies and New Zealand, which leaves the window of CLT20 oepn forSeptember in the southern part of Africa.
Airtel which signed on as the CLT20 sponsor wouldn't mind the changein venue for the first edition in India was not exactly a blazingsuccess and by reportedly snapping up African and Middle Easterntelecoms Zain on Sunday for $10.7 billion, it would like to leverageits brand name further. The Bharti Airtel acquisition of Zain's assetsdoes not include Sudan and Morocco. Zain has a presence in 23 nationswith 73 million subscribers. It is still not known whether Zain willbe rebranded Airtel in Africa where it has operations in sevencountries in the Middle East: Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, SaudiArabia, Lebanon (as mtc touch), and Sudan and in 16 countries inAfrica: Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republicof the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria,Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia.

Rocking the boat

BEHIND THE NEWS

Sports ministry-CWGOC at loggerheads

Is another major controversy brewing in Indian sportofficialdom? Delhi's spring air is thick with the news that the sportsministry has dashed off a missive to the Prime Minister's Officedetailing charges against the Commonwealth Games Organising Committeethrowing into stark relief rampant mismanagment. While no one iswilling to confirm or deny the existence of such a missive, thegrapevine is buzzing with this news. Coming at this late stage in theprepratory journey of the Commonwealth Games, it doesn't augur wellfor the relations between the sports ministry under M S Gill and theOC under Suresh Kalmadi. The widening divide between the two tallestsports administrators in the country was seen recently at theunveiling of the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, the venue of theHero Honda World Cup hockey tournament.
No CWGOC member was present when the stadium was thrown open, anobvious slight to the Kalmadi run IOA and CWGOC. The chasm betweenGill and Kalmadi goes back to giving permission to the staging of theF1 race in the Delhi NCR. The company promoting the event waseventually found to be owned by Kalmadi's family. The sports ministryrefused to clear the foreign exchange demand of the company for the F1race. The missive comes close on the heels of the sports ministrydirecting the CWGOC to divest its joint director general T S Darbariof all responsibilities. Darbari is allegedly involved in a Customsbreach case recently and the ministry wants a thorough inquiry intothe matter.
Darbari interestingly handles revenue, marketing and businessactivities of the OC, all crucial verticals. The ministry hasinstructed its own man in the OC Jarnail Singh, CEO to make thefindings of the inquiry known at the earlies. After various fracasbetween CGF CEO Mike Hooper and the tardy pace of progress of the CWGinfrastructure roll out late last year, the PMO had drafted in keybureaucrats in the OC for greater financial oversight. Subsequently,it is believed that all vital functions of the OC had beenappropriated by the government since it was concerned at the shockingapathy being displayed by the OC towards completion schedules.

R-ADAG won't bid for IPL team

Sorry, no franchise...

It is now virtually certain that Anil Ambani owned ADAGwill not bid for a IPL franchise when the two team auction takesplace. Insiders close to developments revealed to sportzpower thatdespite all the hype about ADAG being one of the frontrunners for thetwo additional franchises, it is highly unlikely that a bid willactually fructify. And the reserve price of $225 million is not thedeterrent. The complexities of running a team and managing its ecosystem is arguably a bigger impediment.
With Reliance Entertainment scaling up its operations, the focus ofthe Group is now on this vertical. The recent success of 3 Idiots andtwo big impending releases - Kites and Ravan - both costing Rs 100crore each have ensured that ADAG does not want any distraction of thekind that IPL presents itself. With Anil Ambani in his personalcommitment pledging serious multi million dollar equity in the StevenSpielberg joint venture Dreamworks, the focus is on entertainment.
With the data room having opened for the sale of beleaguered Hollywoodgiant MGM, Reliance Big Entertainment is one of the bidders along withNews Corp's Fox, Warner Bros, AT & T and Summit the distributionconglomerate. However, MGM's fragmented equity structure with multipleowners - Comcast, Providence, TPG and Sony - may prove to be an issue.
While most analysts have averred that ADAG remains the number onecontender for the Ahmedabad franchise, it is clear that this is not tobe. In any case R-ADAG has a history with IPL. ADAG had annulled the200-crore deal with Indian Premier League (IPL) because TV rights forthe coverage of the tournament were given to its immediate competitor- Airtel. ADAG had then told media, “We have been in talks with IPLfor some time now. We are being offered only the DTH rights while theTV rights are going to others. This is not acceptable to us; hence wehave decided to pull out." The fracas had even reportedly cost thenSony Entertainment CEO Kunal Dasgupta his job

The art of spending big and not making money

NAKED EYE

Over hyped EPL is a money losing exercise

It was a prank, but at the same time so apt. It summed up thesituation in the over hyped and high priced world of professionalEnglish football. Itis well documented that the situation at Portsmouth Football has beendire for some time. Finally it found a new buyer in Nepalese bornbusinessman Balram Chainrai. But wait, he only bought the club to hawkit to another owner. But things got comical when the club was put upfor sale on eBay. That is when one knew that things had got out ofhand. While the actual listing was a prank, as many as 80 bids came inwith the highest bid of £999,999.00. The auction was listed as“Portsmouth City Football Club Ltd.” on theBritish eBay site. The description says, “New owner desperately wantedfor financially-stricken south-coast football club. Previous andcurrent owner(s) have run this fantastic club into the ground and itis facing an uncertain future. Liars, crooks, asset-strippers and taxcheats are obviously NOT welcome. All bids considered but please get amove on as the electricity is about to be cut off moosh.”
Ha, ha, ha! Chainrai became the fourth owner of the club in a year.The Hong Kong businessman has taken over Ali al-Faraj's 90% stakeafetr the creditor had become frustrated at missed payments by club.The Guardian reported that, "Portsmouth's troubled season took anotherdramatic twist when Balram Chainrai seized control of the club fromAli al-Faraj, making the Hong Kong businessman the fourth owner atFratton Park this season, following Sacha Gaydamak, Sulaiman al-Fahimand Faraj. Chainrai has taken over the 90% shareholding in Portsmouththat was held by Faraj after becoming frustrated that the club hadmissed deadlines to repay money he was due for substantial loans hegave to them earlier this season. Chainrai had loaned at least £17m toFaraj to keep Portsmouth afloat through Portpin, the company he ownswith his Israeli business partner, Levi Kushnir, and their associates.Those loans were secured against the stadium, the club's futuretelevision revenue and Faraj's 90% share. Angered by Portsmouth'sfailure to make repayments on the finance, despite Portpin continuallyextending the deadlines, Chainrai's patience ran out yesterday, and heinstructed his lawyers to act. Under the terms of the loan Faraj's 90%shareholding in Portsmouth was frozen and passes to Chainrai. It isunderstood Faraj may have to instigate court proceedings if he wishesto challenge the move.
"Chainrai had expected to receive a sizeable repayment when thePremier League paid all of its 20 clubs a £7m instalment of televisionrevenue early last month. Portsmouth's, though, was withheld by thegoverning body as the club's dire financial predicament meant they hadbeen unable to pay transfer monies due to English and European clubs.A proportion of these were paid by the league using the televisionmoney. Chainrai travelled to England last month but was unable tosecure the repayments. It is thought that he informed Mark Jacob,Portsmouth's executive director, and Daniel Azougy, who overseePortsmouth in Faraj's continuing absence, of his disquiet then.Speaking to the Guardian Chainrai said: "Portpin have made substantialloans to Portsmouth to try and ensure the club's future. Portpin will[now] continue to work for the best interests of the club." He hopesto appoint two new members to the Portsmouth board today and is intenton stabilising the finances before looking to attract investors."
The irony is that while England plays host to this uber hypedprofessional league, its own national football team remains the pits.Every four years when the Euro Cup or the World Cup comes along,England players resplendant in their club avatars find the going toughat the highest level. England won its lone World Cup in 1966 at home,that too in extra time against Germany 4-2.. Yes, 1966. It reached thesemi finals in 1990 when it lost to Germany on penalties. In theEuropean Cup, it is still more galling; two semi final finishes in1968 and 1996. In the Olympics, it has won twice in 1908 and 1912. So,record busting attendances, gravity defying transfers andgangbuster hoopla notwithstanding, the English Premier League is adead loss. Its business model flawed. Maybe there is a lesson in allthis for the Indian Premier League where franchise owners aresimilarly making losses, despite claims made otherwise. Earlier inJanuary, EPL club Manchester City announced losses of $148M, for thelast financial year, the "second-biggest single-year loss for any clubin the history of English football," according to Sam Wallace of theLondon INDEPENDENT. Manchester City's "staggering losses are more thantwice" the $70.9M annual losses Chelsea announced last month. But thelosses are "still not as big as those" Chelsea disclosed four yearsago, when the club posted a deficit of $223.7M. Wallace notesManchester City's losses "do not even take into account the summer's"$199.6M spent on players, as the club's figures "only run to the endof May last year." Meanwhile, Manchester City Owner Sheikh Mansour binZayed Al Nahyan has converted loans of $487.2M "into equity andinvested another" $143.2M through the purchase of further shares inthe club. Wallace notes it is "thought that Sheikh Mansour hasearmarked around [$1.23B] for the entire investment, taking in theacquisition of the club, player transfer fees and wages.
The Premier League is the most lucrative football league in the world,with total club revenues rising 26% to £1.93 billion ($3.15bn) as of2007–08. Eleven of the twenty Premier League teams made anoperating profit in that year. Wage costs also reached €1.51 billionin 2007/08, considerably higher than that of the next highest-spendingleague, the Italian Serie A (at €972m). Individual salaries arerarely, if ever, confirmed in public, although a survey of players in2006, conducted in conjunction with the Professional Footballers'Association, showed the average basic wage in the Premier League was£676,000 per year, or £13,000 per week, before bonuses.
The Premier League's gross revenue is the fourth highest of any sportsleague worldwide, behind the annual revenues of the three most popularNorth American major sports leagues (the National Football League,Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association), butahead of the National Hockey League. On a per club basis, the averagerevenues of the 20 Premier League teams are thought to be close thoseof the 30-team NBA. However, there is much greater financial disparityamong Premier League clubs when compared to the members of any of the"Big Four" North American leagues.
Something surely stinks to high heaven. Cost efficiencies are adistant dream for the club owners. Paul Kelso writing the other day inThe Telegraph said that a study of the finances of football clubsacross Europe is ringing alarm bells. Kelso's artiucle is a must read.His hypothesis is even more scary. He argues that half of all Europeanfootball clubs are running at a loss. So, this is not merely a problemin England, but has spread across to the mainland as well. I amreproducing parts of it here: "Half of all European professionalfootball clubs are running at a loss, with more than 20 percentrecording ''huge'' deficits in the past year despite the gamegenerating record revenues. The shocking figures, compiled by Europeanfootball's governing body UEFA and due to be published next month,reveal the full scale of the financial excesses in club footballacross the continent. UEFA's general secretary Gianni Infantino saidthe financial plight of clubs in England and across Europedemonstrated the need for new regulations. UEFA, fearing a spiral ofwage inflation across the continent, is pressing ahead with new rulesrequiring clubs to live within their means rather than relying onwealthy owners or bank debt to underwrite player wages and transferfees.
"The intention is to prevent a repeat of the difficulties being feltat English Premier League clubs Portsmouth and West Ham United, aswell as limit the ability of benefactors such as Sheikh Mansour binZayed al Nahyan at Manchester City to fast-track success withshort-term spending that the clubs could not otherwise sustain. UEFApresident Michel Platini's ''financial fair play'' initiative willrequire clubs competing in European competition to break even or turna profit, relying only on what they earn from football revenues. Clubsrepeatedly making a loss over a three-year cycle could be barred fromthe Europa League and Champions League. The new rules, which will bewelcomed by those concerned at the financial extremes of the PremierLeague, will be published in the summer and introduced from the2012-13 season. They will not limit the amount of debt that clubs cancarry, but interest payments will have to be covered by income. Clubswill be able to record losses as a result of long-term footballinvestment such as stadium improvements. Short-term spending will haveto be funded from club earnings, and heavily leveraged models such asthat imposed on Manchester United by the Glazer family, will beimperilled.
"The implications for English football are serious. In the 2007-08season, 14 of the 20 Premier League clubs made a loss, includingManchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. Major European clubs such asInter Milan, AC Milan and Real Madrid will also be affected. Infantinosaid: ''What we are doing, with the support of all the stakeholders inthe game, including the major professional clubs, is to try andimprove the long-term stability of European club football byencouraging clubs to live within the revenues that they generate. ''Weare concerned, and many of the clubs and owners are concerned, aboutthe sustainability of the game. ''We surveyed more than 650 clubs allover Europe, and found that 50 per cent of those clubs are makinglosses every year, and 20 per cent of them are making huge losses,spending 120 per cent of their revenue every year.''
So, what is at the kernel of this problem? Well for starters, it isthe absurd wages that are paid. Actually, they can hardly becategorised as wages.Infantino has said the primary reason for the losses was wage andtransfer inflation driven by clubs relying on owner finance or debt.''Around one-third of the clubs are spending 70 per cent or more oftheir revenues on wages. Revenues across European football grew by 10per cent last year, but the salaries of players and coaches have goneup by around 18 per cent. It is clear that if we continue like this itwill end up with a spiral of inflation, so we need to bring a morerational and reasonable approach to this crazy game.'' It is clearlyeconomics, stupid. Revenue shortfalls like this cannot be sustained bythe whims and fancies of bulge bracket owners. Rich men with sport astheir hobby horse is not a sustainable business model. Sheikh MansourofManchester City has coughed up $199 million just to acquire players.It is bizarre. At least in the IPL there is a cap on the amount thatcan be spent on player auctions. Otherwise, we would have similar sumsof money beind bandied about. When the news telly wallahs andsubsequently ToI went ballistic on the sum of money paid for KieronPollard, I asked IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi and he denied theexorbitant sums of money outright. One can argue that the cap for theJanuary 19 auction was $750,000 and in the event of a tie breakerinstalled for the very first time in IPL history, the surplus over the$750,000 amount was to go to the IPL kitty and given thesecircumstances, Modi would have preferred not to divulge the realfigure. But even then, look at what happened last year - both KevinPietersen and Andrew Flintoff went for $1.5 million and change.Freddie Flintoff broke down, while Pietersen was a pale shadow of hisusual self before he flew back to London for his England commitments.Subsequently it was discovered that his achilles heel problem flaredup during the IPL. Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah were acquired byDelhi Daredevils andall they did was warm the bench since IPL has a cap of four foreignplayers per match. And mind you they were paid.
Some semblance of profit and loss has to be imbibed by the people whorun city based franchises. Otherwise, they will discover very quicklythat while it is fashionable to own a sporting franchise, it can wellend up as a no brainer. And of course burn a very deep hole in theirpocket.

The teflon man

GROUND ZERO

ARMANI FINDS HIS WAY TO KHANNA MARKET

That doesn't paper over the callousness or carelessness

Defending the indefensible is always a tough task. More so when thevultures are circling overhead. Allegations abound against IPCCchairman R K Pachauri - ranging from living in a million dollar homeand wearing $1000 suits. Some of these notions were dispelled in aninterview that he gave to Hindustan Times the other day. My sense isthat the interview was given to clear some of these misconceptionsthat are being used by the foreign press to target Rajendra Pachauri.All that however, does not take away from the shocking errors that heis party to. In fact, Pachauri's glaciergate scam hasgenerated enough heat to melt a few icebergs, if not glaciers. So, inthis interview to HT carried as a flyer on page 1, an attempt was madeto set the record straight by a beleaguered and encircled Pachauri.With the world baying for his blood, and just about everyone rangedagainst him, Pachauri needed crutches. He founda resting place in HT which in any case had turned him into agargantuan sized hero during the Copehagen confabulations. But sinceCopenhagen, Pachauri has been domolished time and again by variouspeople. His tall claims lie in a rubble. His reputation andcredibility in tatters. And by association India's image tarnished. OnThursday, ET had a small story on its inside page. This is what itsaid, "IPCC chairman R K Pachauri has admitted that the panel’scredibility has been damaged by the false claims on the disappearanceof the Himalayan glaciers made in the Fourth Assessment Report. Theclimate panel chief has rebutted claims of further errors, such as theAmazon claim, in the IPCC report, describing it as the work of a“factory” of people “only there to create pinpricks and getattention”. With the IPCC working on the next assessment report, MrPachauri realises the adverse impact of the Himalayan blunder. “Ithink this [glacier] mistake has certainly cost us dear, there’s noquestion about it. Everybody thought that what the IPCC brought outwas the gold standard and nothing could go wrong. But look at thelarger picture, don’t get blinded by this one mistake.” Theacknowledgement that the UN panel had got it wrong on the Himalayanglaciers has proved to be a shot in the arm of climate sceptics."
Finally acceptance of his mistake, but still no resignation in sight. Amazingly,Pachauri remains steadfast in his thinking that while the report has aglaring error, it is not really the end of the world. The sameafternoon, I saw another report filed by agencies on the ET website.The London datelined report said, "Reports indicate that RajendraPachauri, the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange (IPCC), is under pressure to resign over the error that theIPCC made on the issue of the melting of Himalayan glaciers. DrPachauri, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC), has insisted that he will remain in the post for another fouryears despite having failed to act on a serious error in the body's2007 report. But, according to a report in The Times, John Sauven,director of Greenpeace UK, said that Dr Pachauri should have acted assoon as he had been informed of the error, even though issuing acorrection would have embarrassed the IPCC on the eve of theCopenhagen climate summit. A journalist had told Dr Pachauri severaltimes late last year that glaciologists had refuted the IPCC claimthat Himalayan glaciers would disappear by 2035. Dr Pachauri refusedto address the problem, saying, "I don't have anything to add onglaciers." He suggested that the error would not be corrected until2013 or 2014, when the IPCC next reported. The IPCC issued acorrection and apology on January 20, three days after the error hadmade global headlines.
According to Sauven, "Mistakes will always be made but it's how youhandle those mistakes which affects the credibility of theinstitution. Pachauri should have put his hand up and said 'we made amistake'. It's in these situations that your character and judgment istested. Do you make the right judgment call? He clearly didn't." "TheIPCC needed a new chairman who would hold public confidence byintroducing more rigorous procedures," Sauven said. "The IPCC needs toregain credibility," he added. "If we get a new person in with an openmind, prepared to fundamentally review how the IPCC works, we wouldregain confidence in the organization," he opined. But, Dr Pachauritold Indian television that he believed attacks on him were beingorchestrated by companies facing lower profits because of actionsagainst climate change recommended by the IPCC. "My credibility hasbeen established because I was re-elected chairman in 2008 by all thecountries of the world," he said. "They must have been satisfied withwhat I did in terms of the fourth assessment report (published in2007) because they have given me the mandate of completing the fifthassessment report (to be released over 2013 and 2014) which I intenddoing," he added.
A hard headed Pachauri seems to be consistently shifting goalposts. Bychanging his stance, he is not doing his own or the nation'scredibility any good. The knives are out for him. Strangely the manwho Pachauri's IPCC shared the Nobel Prize with - Al Gore - has keptsilent during this climategate fracas. Now let me rewind a bit -Nature magazine in its 2007 Newsmaker of the Year cover story onPachauri wrote - "On his way to collect his own medal, Gore stopped toshake Pachauri warmly by the hand. Patchy and Al, as theycall each other, get along famously. It is all a far cry from thesituation in 2002, when Pachauri beat Gore’s favoured candidateto run the IPCC in a bitterly fought contest. Immediatelyafterwards, Gore lambasted Pachauri in the pages ofThe New York Times as the “let’s drag our feet candidate”, apatsy put in place to weaken the IPCC as one of various “actsof sabotage” by the new Bush administration. Pachauri hadfought back with a letter of his own to the Times. “In a 1991speech, Mr Gore [referred] to my ‘commitment’, ‘vision’ and‘dedication’ … Will the real Al Gore please stand up?” “He thought Iwas part of some kind of plot,” Pachaurisays. “Maybe he believed I had some sort of deal with theUS administration, that I’d be soft in pushing the truth onclimate change.” If so, he knows better now."
Before the bonhomie Gore had called Pachauri an oil industrystooge and a Bush placeman in the IPCC in a signed letter in the NewYork Times, but now he is keeping mum. Pachauri claims that the'foreign hand' is doing him in. While I see reason in Pachauri's claimthatinternational media is out to destroy him, how does he explain thecarelessness involved in glaciergate. In the same interview to Naturemagazine, 'Patchy' said, “I am not going to rest easy until I havearticulated in every possible forum the need to bring about major structuralchanges in economic growth and development. That’s thereal issue. Climate change is just a part of it."
Now to HT's puff job on the same Pachauri in a little more detail. Thesave Pachauri at your own peril campaign went like this - "The firstthing Rajendra Pachauri does is open his coat lapel and reveal thelabel. It says, `Chhadha and Company', a shop in South Delhi'smiddle-class Khanna Market. As a wag remarked on reading the interview- this was the only revelation in the long winded save Pachauri job.Mind you, that's in response to a now oft-repeated claim, first madeby the UK's Daily Telegraph, that the chairperson of theIntergovenmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), and Nobel Prizewinner with hisorganisation, has a lifestyle that includes wearing thousand-dollarArmani suits. "I paid Rs 2,200 (approximately $480) for my suits,after bargaining my tailor down from Rs 2,500," said Pachauri, 69, whospoke to Hindustan Times in the course of his first wide-ranginginterview to the Indian media after acontroversy over the IPCC's scientific errors, allegations of hisconflicts of interest as chief of New Delhi's The Energy and ResourcesInstitute (TERI), and his lifestyle. Pachauri attributed the attackson him and the IPCC to the work of global lobbies, with "millions,maybe billions" of dollars in funding, who do not accept globalwarming. He singled out two British papers for "running campaigns"against him.
Pachauri quoted the Center for Public Integrity, a Washington DC-basedthink tank as saying 2,300 lobbyists and 700 companies in the US alonewere arrayed against the acceptance of global warming. "All of this isclearly part of the strategy to demolish the science of climate changeand thereby continue to earn their huge profits," said Pachauri. "Theyreally don't want to pay for negative externalities that they areputting on the world through growing consumption and production offossil fuels."
"I've gone to the point of saying people should eat less meat and thatbothers them because they feel I'm questioning their lifestyles, andthey feel it is bringing huge cost on them."
"They feel threatened by the scientific assessments of the IPCC andhold me responsible for what I am saying on the basis of what sciencehas brought out. They went to the extent of referring to me as a Hinduvegetarian. This is slander."
As he has before, Pachauri acknowledged mistakes -- primarily to awrong deadline, 2035, for the melting of Himalayan glaciers -- in theIPCC's fourth assessment report, 2007, a 3,000-page document acceptedby 130 countries that now forms the basis for global policy-making onclimate change. "Their sole objective is to damage the credibility ofIPCC," he said."We're not going to answer these spurious, individual complaints inthe media.
They are coming from only two sources, The Times, London, and The Telegraph."Asked how much the IPCC paid him, Pachauri said "not a single memberof the IPCC gets money". He is only reimbursed for travel expenses, hesaid. Pachauri said he saw no conflict of interest in being chair of theIPCC and being paid by governments or corporations for advice onclimate change, particularly those that profit from fossil fuels, forconsultancy work on behalf of TERI."You know I had relationships withthese (oil) organisations all my life," said Pachauri.
"Whatever we have in the IPCC reports are in the public domain. I'mnot concealing any trade secrets or intellectual property thatsomebody else wants. It is the public's intellectual prop erty. It ison this basis that I advice companies or individuals... where is theconflict of , interest? I don't see that." Referring to his house inDelhi's costliest address, Golf Links, Pachuri said: "I have aninherited house in Golf Links.If you think I should not be living in Golf Links, please get me anice house, and I can think of moving from there. I find it veryconvenient (it's half a km from his office in TERI)."
All very well Mr Pachauri. Point taken, but what about glaciergate?And why weren't inconvenient questions asked by HT journos of R KPachauri on messing up the assessment reports due to callousness andcarelessness. How did a typo creep in which allowed 2350 to become2035? Suppose the BSE or NSE for that matter when it closes the marketgives out the wrong closing of the Sensex or Nifty and similarly errsby giving the wrong prices of certain scrips. Think of theincalculable damage, no, havoc that it will cause to investors. Justan example. Maybe, the goras are gunning for him, but how can hedefend these errors? Yes, he may be living in an inherited house inGolf Links and not wear an Armani suit but instead wears one tailoredin Khanna Market, but how can he defend these mistakes. There is nodefence for the indefensible. The quality of these reports is underscruitny and both Dr V K Raina and Jairam Ramesh have called hisbluff. Oh, yes, both incidentally are Indians, not firangs who arefixated on tarnishing his credo. He will have to go.

(Impact)

The $225 million dollar question

BEHIND THE NEWS

Will price be a deterrent for team auction?

With the tender process for the two fresh team inductioninto IPL season 4 on the anvil, entities and individuals are readyingto take position. Though the entry barrier of $225 million as thereserve price for the auction is considered a bit steep, the final bidamount will be spread over 10 years and a large chunk of this will besubsidised by broadcast revenues. Till the end of season 3, eightteams would have shared the booty, but in season 4, this will beshared by 10 franchise owners. The boradcast revenues are directed toa central pool, 40% of which go to IPL itself, 54% to franchisees and6% as prize money. The money will be distributed in these proportionsuntil 2017, after which the share of IPL will be 50%, franchisees 45%and prize money 5%. However due to the fracas over broadcast rights inthe light of the tournament moving to South Africa for season 2, thetelecast cost was renegotiated. IPL had agreed to subsidize thedifference in operating cost between India and South Africa as itdecided to move to the African nation after the security concernsraised because of its coincidence with India's general elections.Twenty per cent of these proceeds were to go to IPL, 8% as prize moneyand 72% was to be distributed to the franchisees. The money would bedistributed in these proportions until 2012, after which the IPL wouldgo public and list its shares. That at least is the plan.
What is crucial for the new franchise owners is the city that they arelikely to be allotted. For instance in season 3, four new venues havebeen added - Nagpur, Vishakhapatnam, Ahmedabad and Dharamsala, havebeen added. In season 3 of course, Nagpur will feature matchesinvolving the Mumbai Indians, Ahmedabad for the Rajasthan Royals,Dharmasala for the Kings XI Punjab Mohali team and Vishakapatnam forthe Hyderabad Deccan Chargers. But once the two new franchise ownersare added, then following the principle of city based teams, the newteams will probably come from this bucket itself. Given that the newteams will have to have supporting infrastructure, then these fourcities will get priority. Other centres which have the necessaryinfrastructure - stadium with modern facilities, lighting, hotel andairline infrastructure include Gwalior and Cuttack.
When the IPL was architected first, the total base price for auctionwas US $400 million ($50 million each), and the auction fetched US$723.59 million. The lowest amount was paid by Emerging Mediaconsortium which coughed up $67 million for Rajasthan Royals whileReliance Industries boss Mukesh Ambani paid the highest $111.9 millionfor Mumbai Indians. So, while the general consensus of opinion earlier wasthat Ahmedabad would be picked up by Anil Ambani owned ADAG, it isstill not clear whether he will actually make a meaningful bid.Believed to be number nine in the list of bidders the first timeround, he had set his eyes on Ahmedabad which holds fond memories forhim. This is where he started his career at Reliance's textile plantswhen he returned from Wharton. But ADAG insiders have revealed that afinal decision on a bid is yet to be firmed up. If it does fructifythen both the Ambani brothers will be pitted against one another onthe cricket field.
It is more or less certain however, that Hero Honda MD & CEO PawanMunjal bidding for a team in his personal capacity. Sources close toMunjal however, have indicated that he will probably bid for theDharamsala franchise, but price remains a deterrent. What is crucialin this mix is who will bag Ahmedabad. The Motera is one of the betterstadiums for cricket in India. At the same time if the Jaipurfranchise moves to Ahmedabad, then that too throws up an interestingdimension. With Lalit Modi having been decisively ousted from RCAadministration, will Rajasthan Royals, partly owned by Modi's brotherin law Suresh Chellaram move base? All this speculation will be laidto rest if Anil Ambani decides to bid in his personal capacity anddecides to go to battle with his brother on the cricketing green. WhenICL owner Subhash Chandra was negotiating with BCCI over closure ofthe rebel league, the BCCI had offered him a franchise in the IPL. Itis not known whether Chandra still has the appetite for another crackat cricket. This seems most doubtful.
Sportzpower spoke to another prospective bidder race horse owner andSerum Institute scion Adar Poonawala who said, "Yes, my friends and Ihad discussed this sometime back, very honestly I haven't looked atthe numbers since. I will have to go over the dynamics - how much hasto be put in, what is the costing, how much will be subsidised by thebroadcast revenues etc."
Poonawala further added that once all this is in the bag, he wouldlike to approach Lalit Modi who he knows well. He said, "Since time isshort, I can start the process, but it will have to be as a part of aconsortium. Rigging up a consortium at such short notice seemsdoubtful, but I am going to be speaking to like minded people in Punelike Baba Kalyani etc and if one can construct a bid, then so be it."Subroto Roy chairman and managing worker of Sahara India Pariwar isanother prospective bidder, but he will have to first find a centreoutside his area of influence - Uttar Pradesh. Sahara Group insidersclaim that Roy hasn't decided yet on making a bid. Other likelybidders as sportzpower has pointed out recently include diversifiedconglomerate ITC which will bid under the Wills brand name and twolarge telecoms - one from north India and the other a MNC based out ofMumbai. Given the steep entry cost, it is understood that consortiumson the lines of Emerging Media which owns RR and Kings XI Punjab whichhas multiple owners may well be the way forward.
Lalit Modi is reportedly scheduling an IPL Governing Council meetingon February 12 or thereabouts to decide on the bid conditionalities.He would like the new franchise owners to be in place before March 12so that they can understand the complexities of owning and running afranchise. Everything now hinges on the $225 million base price forthe auction. Will people take the plunge is now a $225 millionquestion?

Talking tourism

POWER INTERVIEW - KUMARI SELJA

The Commonwealth Games will be like a booster shot for tourism in India

Kumari Selja is the young and dynamic tourism minister in UPA 2.0.Gung ho that Indian tourism has turned the corner after the doublewhammy of the global economic meltdown and the dreadful 26/11 terrorattacks which targeted iconic Indian hospitality centres, she isbuoyed by the fact that tourism in India has begun to show signs ofrecovery with tourist arrivals grwoing by 21 per cent in December2009. "The quantum jump in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in theHotel and Tourism sector in the years 2008 and 2009 is also indicativeof the positive scenario. Most of the major international hotel chainsincluding Starwood, Hilton, Carlson, etc. have either already come toIndia or are in the process of doing so," says Selja. In an extensiveinterview with Sandeep Bamzai, she explains the imperatives behind newthrusts in the tourism campaigns to tie up with the forthcomingCommonwealth Games when India expects an additional 100,000 tourists."These factors, coupled with the performance of in-bound tourism inIndia the last few months, are very encouraging for tourism in India.With the global economy too showing signs of recovery, internationaltourism can be expected to revive worldwide," she added. While touristarrivals declined in 2009, foreign exchange earnings from tourism haveactually jumped to Rs.54960 crore as compared to Rs.50730 crore in2008, registering an increase of 8.3%. Excerpts:
*What are the ministry's plans to take tourism to the next level,given that India is hosting the Commonwealth Games which alone expects100,000 additional tourists to land in the country?
Destination India has a lot to offer to the discerning tourist, itsstrength being the immense diversity of its product and touristattractions. India with her rich cultural and historical heritage,beautiful natural bounty, and wildlife parks & sanctuaries offerholistic tourism experiences. However there is great potential forgrowth of new and niche tourism products like adventure, rural, ecoand wellness tourism in different parts of the country offering aunique experience. This will bring about widespread dispersal oftourists and takes tourism to the next level. The ministry is activelyworking to promote these products.
• We have announced a new policy guideline to promote Caravan Tourismin India and to facilitate the infrastructure required for it.
• We have also issued guidelines in respect of Heliport Tourism toextend financial assistance to State Governments/Union TerritoryAdministrations for construction of heliports in order to promotetourist destination in Hilly, Remote and inaccessible areas.
• We are giving the highest priority to the innovative Rural Tourismproducts for the socio-economic benefit of the host communities aswell as to provide much needed support to languishing arts & craftswhile showcasing the rich culture, craft and diverse cuisine of thecountry. More than 150 innovative Rural Tourism projects have beensanctioned across the country.
• India provides state of the art medical services at a fraction ofthe international costs. In addition, traditional systems of healing,including Ayurveda, Yoga, Siddha and Unani provide a complete packageof spiritual healing and wellness. We are promoting Medical andWellness Tourism in the key overseas markets in a major way throughroad shows and participation in major events.
• We are continuously upgrading Meeting, Incentives, Conferences andExhibitions (MICE) facilities to promote India as a major destinationfor MICE. Market Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme has beenextended to provide financial incentive to Professional ConferenceOrganizers (PCO) who successfully organize any internationalconference at an Indian destination. It has also been decided toprovide Central Assistance up to Rs.5 crore to States/UTs fordevelopment of Convention Centers under the Government/Public Sectorinitiatives. MDA scheme has also been extended to Medical andWellness Tourism service providers. The modified MDA scheme alsoprovides incentives for promotion of domestic tourism.
• To promote Cruise Tourism, tourism infrastructure facilities atvarious ports are being developed.
*One of the biggest impediments is the lack of infrastructural supportto our tourism and hospitality industry. While we have islands of topof the line tranquility in the hotels, the surroundings leave a lot tobe desired. Are we trying to improve connectivity, transport amongother things?
Infrastructural facilities in the country are being augmented in awell planned and phased manner, in partnership with the stategovernments and the private sector. As many as 29destinations/circuits which are frequented by a large number oftourists have been identified, for integrated development as megaprojects of which 21 projects have already been sanctioned.Modernization of major airports in the country has been undertakenthrough Public–Private Sector Partnership.
We have introduced the ‘Visa on Arrival’ on a pilot basis for citizenof Singapore, finland, New Zealand, Luxembourg and Japan.
A series of promotional initiatives have been taken in the overseasmarkets for promoting tourism and increasing foreign tourist arrivalsto the country. During 2009, road shows and promotional eventsfeaturing India’s varied tourism products have been organized inAustralia, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, S. Korea, UK & Ireland, USA,Canada, West Asia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Australia, New Zealand,Dubai, Riyadh, Kuwait and Doha. In addition, a ‘Visit India Year’Scheme to incentivize travel to India during the year is currently inoperation in collaboration with all concerned stakeholders includingstate governments, hotel & travel industry.
*Are we beefing up the tourism infrastructure in Delhi for the 2010Games, as also in the golden triangle where a lot of tourists areexpected?
Hosting a mega sporting event by any country has given its tourismsector a great boost. The XIX Commonwealth Games to be held in Delhiin 2010 offers a great opportunity for India to showcase itsdiversified culture, rich heritage and vast history to the world. TheMinistry of Tourism has taken the following initiatives to beef uptourism infrastructure in and around Delhi for the Games.
It is estimated that there will be a requirement of additional 30,000hotel rooms. We are actively monitoring the creation of additionalaccommodation for the games. Further, measures are being initiated toaugment hotel accommodation, particularly in Delhi, along with othermajor metros and tourist destinations in the country. A “Bed &Breakfast” Scheme, to accord the tourists the opportunity to stay withan Indian Family and experience the customs and traditions, has beenlaunched recently.
A common ticketing system for the tourists visiting various monumentsin Delhi has also been introduced by the Archaeological Survey ofIndia.
We have also taken several initiatives to bridge the gap betweendemand and supply of trained manpower resources in the Hospitality andTravel Sectors, which include: -
a. Providing trained volunteers to the Hospitality Sector to meet therequirements during the Games under the “Earn While You Learn” Scheme.b. Imparting training to taxi, coach and auto rickshaw drivers withthe objective of making them more tourist friendly.c. Imparting training to owners and service staff of the approvedGuest Houses in Delhi so that there is a quality improvement in theservices being provided.
The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has agreed to implementCentralized Collection of Road Taxes in the Golden Triangle ofDelh-Agra-Jaipur to facilitate seamless flow of tourist vehicles inview of the upcoming CWG-2010.
Further, a number of historical monuments in and around Delhi arebeing illuminated with a view to exhibit its rich culture andheritage. We have also sanctioned seven projects for development oftourism infrastructure during the current financial year 2009-10.
*The tourism industry/ministry interface is constantly thinking up newschemes. Give us a peep into what is planned?
We are making all out efforts to ensure that the experiences oftourists are worth sharing, so that most of them become repeatvisitors to India in future years. The Ministry of Tourism, withactive involvement of the Industry stakeholders, is focusing ondevelopment and marketing of niche products such as MICE Tourism,Cruise Tourism, Caravan Tourism, Heliport Tourism, Rural & EcoTourism, etc.
Ministry of Tourism sees its primary role as a facilitator. TheNational Tourism Advisory Council (NTAC) which works as a think tankfor the Ministry is involved for making innovative suggestions. Weare also planning to constitute a small group of representatives totake up, with the Industry stakeholders, the issues related todevelopment and promotion of tourism, devise innovative strategies andcoordinate with other Ministries/Departments concerned with theinter-related issues. However, as an interim measure to popularizethe existing schemes of the Ministry, a number of initiatives havebeen undertaken by both the Ministry as well as the stakeholders.