Great World Cup start for Mumbai Cricket Association at the Wankhede Stadium

It was a contentious allotment of tickets issue that compelled the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) to break the umbilical cord with the Cricket Club of India (CCI) and become independent building its ground on D Road, Churchgate in the early 1970s. The stadium was named Wankhede Stadium and the first Test match was played against Clive Lloyd’s West Indies in January 1975. In two years the MCA should celebrate the golden jubilee of the Wankhede Stadium — a venue that’s the pride of Mumbai cricket. On Saturday (Oct 21) a goodly crowd turned up to appreciate and applaud England and South Africa’s national teams that locked horns in a first World Cup 2023 match at the venue which is a stone’s throw from the Arabian Sea and the Marine Drive. The stadium has two gates named after renowned cricketers Vinoo Mankad and Polly Umrigar and stands named after Vijay Merchant, GS Divecha, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar and Sachin Tendulkar — all reflecting the thought process of the MCA administration over many decades, giving primacy to its cricketers. What’s missing is the proper acknowledgement of Ajit Wadekar as a Mumbai legend. The MCA and its 330-odd clubs should be happy that the locals bought tickets ranging from Rs 1000 to Rs 10,000 for the hospitality kind to get a feel of the World Cup that MS Dhoni’s India won at the venue 12 years ago. It was a lovely sight with spectators filling up the Wankhede stands for a non-India World Cup match. Super show, Mumbaikars!
(By  G Viswanath)

How Three Chennai-Based Companies Are Trying To Regain Their Pristine Glory

There are a few things common about these three. They are all from very illustrious groups in Chennai. All of them had their sunny years in the past. And, all of them are listed entities. WS Industries, Coromandel Engineering and Kothari Industrial Corporation (KICL) were indeed jewels in the crown of Tamil Nadu once upon a time. For assorted reasons, all of them have become a distant memory. But these are names that have tremendous brand equity. Not surprisingly, these three once-upon-a-time iconic companies – nay brands – are now getting a fresh lease of life. Well, all these three companies have seen a change in their ownership. A new management is already in position at KICL, and is trying to bring the yester-year glory back to the Kothari brand. Through a series of initiatives such as getting big into footwear, drones and the like, the new leadership is working at a frenetic pace to reignite the power of Kothari. The much revered Murugappa group, in the meanwhile, has palmed off Coromandel Engineering to affiliate-entities of a top functionary of a ruling DMK party in Tamil Nadu. Coromandel Engineering, in fact, had built some of the iconic structures in Chennai. WS Industries, a leading manufacturing company once upon a time, too, has come under the fold of a group which is into property development. All these three newcomers get listed firms through the inorganic growth route.
(By KT Jagannathan)

Sniping in Bollywood: Plain Chemistry Or Professional Rivalry?

Undercurrent, chemistry or professional rivalry has existed in Bollywood from Day One. Is it ego or plain jealousy? Take the case of Salman Khan and singer Arijit Singh who have patched up nearly after 5-6 years and have sung songs for Tiger 3. The rivalry started rather innocuously when Arijit stepped onto the stage to receive an award, and Salman mockingly asked looking at his attire, “So gaye the (were you sleeping)?” To this the singer responded, “Aap logon ne sula diya (you all put me to sleep).” This answer seems to have angered Salman and he immediately removed Arijit’s song from his films, Sultan and Bajrangi Bhaijaan. It did affect his career. Bollywood has a history of star rivalry. For instance Khans are not comfortable working with each other. Similarly, Sunny Deol was angry with Shah Rukh for snipping his role in Darr. Recently, at the success party of Gadar 2 both patched up. Raaj Kumar and Dilip Kumar acted in Paigham and fell apart till Subhash Ghai brought them together in Saudagar. Similarly, Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand avoided working with each other. It is quite well known that Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan who worked together in Anand fell out after success of Namak Haram. Likewise Big B and Shatrughan Sinha did not get along well as the latter had a habit of making sarcastic comments. Well, it is not restricted to male stars. There has been a strong undercurrent between Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, Rani Mukerji and Aishwaraya Rai, Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone.
(By Our Entertainment Editor)

Of Leo, Lokesh Kanakaraj and LCU

Have you heard of LCU? Unlikely. It has just come into cinematic coinage pre- and post-release of Vijay’s Leo. It is Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU). Who is Lokesh? Remember that exotic character who clinched the super success of Vikram, overshadowing even Kamal Haasan? …. Rolex played by Surya. Lokesh Kanakaraj is now firmly at the centre of the film firmament after back to back hits like Master, Vikram, Michael and now Leo. His style of film making is now branded LCU. DMK’s controversial youth icon Udhayanidhi Stalin has also endorsed Leo. Ever since Leo shooting started, the savvy team of Vijay and Lokesh have carpeted social media with a blitz of bits, bites of news managing to captivate Vijay fans to drool with anticipation for the movie. Pre-release Leo had enough bug bears …early morning show times denied by DMK, cancellation of audio release, the falling out of cinema owners and distributors over percentage share et al. Looks like Vijay’s imminent political entry has added more spice to Leo. The final digital straw on the DMK’s back… chief minister’s son-in-law Sabareesan is said to have conducted a lightning survey of over 65 villages, found that youth in 20-25 age group have selflessly put up Leo flex banners at their own cost…this youth following may well translate into party cadres for Vijay Makkal Iyakkam. Politically savvy Kollywood stars have mastered the art and science of seamless crossover from cinema to politics.
(By Padma Ramnath)

Karnataka Contractors’ Woes Didn’t End With Polls

Income-tax raids in Bengaluru which had led to recovery of Rs 80 crore cash from contractors and two major infrastructure companies last week, created a lot of heartburn in Congress circles as the funds were headed for poll-bound Telangana. Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar is in charge of the poll-bound state. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot held a presser in Delhi to charge that the BJP-led Centre was misusing probe agencies to target Opposition leaders even after enforcement of Model Code of Conduct, and urged both PM Modi and the EC to intervene. BJP sources said I-T authorities were most likely tipped off by the contractors who were harassed by the Congress government for bribes to clear their dues. In fact, the contractor whose house was raided was the most prominent face of the allegations of 40% commission against the previous BJP government. While the BJP charged that the builders were being blackmailed to pay bribes, BJP leader and former minister C T Ravi was quoted as saying that there were instances where a prominent infrastructure company, which was also constructing houses, was denied water connection because it refused to pay bribes to the incumbent government. Interestingly, soon after the I-T cash haul the Congress rushed its senior leaders RS Surjewala and KC Venugopal to Bengaluru to gather “resources” for redeployment to election-going Madhya Pradesh. The Karnataka BJP targeted the Congress on corruption and released an ‘ATM Sarkara Collection Tree’ poster.
(By Lakshmi Iyer)

Security Breaches See Didi Get Two Labradors For Her Safety

It is not just the Gandhis who have a fondness for the furry friend. Yes, we have seen Rahul Gandhi traveling all the way to Goa to pick up a pair of Jack Russell pups for his mother Sonia and himself. But we know little about West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s bond with the furried. She recently got two Labradors to join her household – Strong and Smile. They arrived purely for security reasons. Yes, they arrived following several security breaches in her Kalighat residence. According to sources, both of them are well-trained to spot bombs or explosives in the vicinity. ‘Strong’ and ‘Smile’ have spent nearly a year training with Special Forces — the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). Post security breach, Mamata, a Z-category protectee got the canines’ for her round-the-clock safety. Since she likes to spend time with the dogs during her spare time, it was she who reportedly gave their names. Security agencies were quite worried about the kind of breaches that were taking place at her residence. There were apparently two serious breaches in her security.  Couple of days ago an unknown man breached the security fence and entered her house. In the second instance, a car laden with weapons entered the lane of CM’s residence.
(By Lakshmi Iyer)

Sri Lanka-India Ferry Service A Goner

The resumption of the ferry service between India and Sri Lanka has run into rough weather of the literal and metaphorical kind. The ferry from Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai near Jaffna, promoted as a game changer in ties with Sri Lanka, has met with such a tepid response from the travelling public that it faces closure once again. Passenger movement was lukewarm to begin with after all the effort put in to create the travel-visa-customs infrastructure at both ends. It fell even further after the much-publicised maiden run on October 14 and the government of India decided to call a temporary halt, quoting the onset of the Northeast monsoon as an excuse. The economics of it was probably not studied hard enough as New Delhi stretched itself to resume the service. It costs Rs 7,600 to cross over on the ferry, that too from the southern tip of India to the northernmost tip of Sri Lanka. It probably costs less to fly from Chennai to Jaffna, or even Chennai to Colombo. The idea of floating the ferry service again was not only for nostalgic reasons. A Boat Mail used to run from Madras Egmore railway station to Dhanuskodi for the transfer to ferry and a longer sea journey to Colombo. Dhanuskodi was washed away in the 1964 cyclone and the ferry service had to stop. No one wants to ride the ferry anymore as it is no luxury cruise either.
(By Tamil Raja)

For Now, Odisha’s New Governor Decides To Play Ball With Naveen Patnaik

Looks like BJP firebrand leader and former chief minister of Jharkhand Raghubar Das who was recently appointed as the Governor of Odisha has changed his tack. Das, known for his aggression and cryptic remarks against the Biju Janata Dal government headed by Naveen Patnaik is now singing differently. He is now invoking the spirit of Team India, saying “he is looking forward to working with Patnaik in the land of Lord Jagannath.” He also said he will take the eastern state to new heights in coordination with the Patnaik government. Why this sudden change of heart and platitudes? Maybe in his new role, he cannot be seen using aggression and tactics; he needs to be seen conducting the office of the governor in a very dignified manner. Though there are examples galore of how the Governors appointed by the Union government have been engaged in a ding dong battle with the chief ministers in non BJP states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Also, it has dawned on the BJP leadership that it will not be easy to dislodge Patnaik from his throne. So BJP seems to be applying, “If you can’t beat them, join them strategy”. But, according to sources, Governor Das known for his organisational ability has been sent to Odisha with a purpose. Though for now things seem hunky dory but one will have to wait and watch till the outcome of 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
(By Sangram Mohanty)

Drug Mafia Lalit Patil Earned Rs 50 Lakh A Month, Mumbai Police Recover 3 Kg Gold

Drugs kingpin Lalit Patil and his brother Bhushan enjoyed 5-Star lifestyle, had purchased at least 8 kg of gold and had knit a network of suppliers and retailers for drugs throughout the country. The Patil brothers had, in fact, set up a factory to produce 50 kg per day of drugs called Mephedrone near Nashik. Ever since Patil was arrested, more and more shocking details have been coming out. Although Patil’s health problem was minor, he was resting in the government-run Sassoon Hospital in Pune for a long time. During his hospitalisation, rooms in nearby posh hotels were booked in his name. Payments for the rooms were made through a bank account. His closest accomplices included two women, now in Mumbai police custody. Pradnya Kamble and Archana Nikam, both hailing from Nashik, were seen with Patil time and again. Video clips of Patil and the women meeting outside the hospital are in possession of the police. Their initial investigations have led to the recovery of 3 kg of the gold the brothers had purchased in Nashik. The police have so far arrested two more suspects who had been helping Patil in the drug production and distribution. The alleged political links Patil has had are providing ammunition to both camps in Maharashtra as charges and counter-charges are flying thick and fast. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has indicated that several skeletons are going to tumble out of the proverbial cupboard very soon. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav) has posed several questions to him about Patil and his activities.
(By Dilip Chaware)

Double Jolt To Rizvi’s Utopia

Twenty-two families occupying residential apartments in the ongoing Rs 2500 crore Slum Redevelopment Authority (SRA) approved project – Rizvi Utopia – in the western suburb of Kalina, Mumbai have to vacate within the week. The directive from the SRA comes in the wake of the finding that ‘C’ wing in the triple-tower complex lacks the requisite Occupation Certificate (OC) despite which possession of 22 of the 25 two-bedroom apartments was handed over to unsuspecting homebuyers. The statutory authority, in its October 18 missive to the project developer Rizvi Land Development Pvt Ltd (RLD) states, “You are hereby directed to vacate all occupied flats in sale wing C of your building immediately… within seven days.” The SRA directive comes in the wake of the report submitted by the Mumbai Fire Brigade in September, 2023, after inspection of all A, B and C wings. The fire brigade report states, “The developer has not obtained an occupation certificate for C wing from the CFO department or SRA. The fixed fire-fighting system is not in working condition.” The SRA action comes as a double jolt to Rizvi builder in particular after he deposited Rs 6 crore with the Bombay High Court over the sale of four commercial office spaces in the realty project without commercial components being part of its approved plans. Why the SRA waited over a month after the fire brigade’s report is another question that remains unanswered?
(By Renni Abraham)

PSU Giant SAIL Inks Deal With Ram Charan For Waste Management System

Businesspersons in this part of the world are usually perceived to be quiet doers. Often, they are attached with the tag of `conservatists’ by the world outside. But these so-called `conservatists’ were pioneers in very many ways. First corporate school (Thriveni Academy), first corporate film company (GV Films), first leasing firm (First Leasing), first corporate hospital (Apollo), first hostile takeover (of Wendt India by CUMI)…. and several such firsts … all happened in Chennai. This little known company from the city of Chennai attracted $4.1 bn investment from the American fund TFCC International in December 2021 and became a talking point in the business media.  Ram Charan Company Private Ltd, founded by Kaushik Palicha, has since gone quietly to pen a pact with the Steel Authority of India (SAIL) to put up a pilot project for carbon capture and utilisation. What has surprised the long-time India business watchers is the fact that a public sector undertaking of the SAIL kind has chosen to take the lead-role in striving to roll out a robust waste management system across its units. If this pilot cooperative initiative succeeds, it is bound to trigger a huge transformation in the way the Indian production environment is managed. If grapevine has to go by, a top industrial house is also picking up a cue or two from the SAIL gambit.  Well, innovators and risk-takers are aplenty in Dravadian land it appears.
(By KT Jagannathan)

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