It’s time for Riders to evaluate their options for rest of the matches

It was shocking for the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens, as they went down to a determined performance from the Mumbai Indians. For the visitors, it was their first win of the IPL. For the hosts, it's time to evaluate their options for the next few matches as Brendon McCullum, Ricky Ponting, and David Hussey will soon leave their ranks. Sourav Ganguly and John Buchanan will have to draw from all their vast experience to turn the momentum back in their favor.

Vijay avoids Vijay

IPL fever has caught on India and entire nation is gripped with cricket mania. Chennai Super Kings has been performing in an exemplary fashion till date not having dropped a single match. Ilayathalapathy Vijay is the brand ambassador from tinsel town for CSK who has been doing his duty religiously, cheering the team in all the matches.

The buzz that is doing the rounds in the industry is that IPL matches have made a dent in collections of the recently released films. The general norm in the industry to release a film during summer vacation is to attract the youth community. But cricket fever has affected box office collection to a large extent and many films which are due to release this vacation may see a postponement, thanks to cricket.

Vijay’s Kuruvi which was initially slated for a May 2nd release is getting postponed by a couple of days to 3rd May which is a Saturday and this is very unusual in filmi world. When probed, it was revealed that a CSK match is scheduled on Friday the 2nd May and the authorities did not want to risk a release on that day. Looks like the cricketer Vijay has overshadowed actor Vijay this time!

Hrithik sidesteps Zee Awards to be with his wife

Mumbai, April 28: Hrithik Roshan has put all his travelling plans on hold because Suzanne is pregnant with their second child. The baby is due any day now and the actor wants to be with his wife. "I'm just not stepping out of Mumbai for some time now. That's why I had to say no to the Zee awards. Right now I can't focus on any work that takes me outside Mumbai," Hrithik told. The award function was held Saturday in London. Hrithik is at the moment shooting for Zoya Akhtar's directorial debut "Luck By Chance" in Mumbai. The actor has a guest appearance in the film - a commitment he made long ago and is only too happy to fulfil since Zoya is not only a close friend of Farhan's sister but also the first female director Hrithik has worked with. "We've been shooting nights for the last few days. And I've one full song to do before I am done. That will keep me busy till the end of the week," said Hrithik who acted in Farhan's "Lakshya". Hopefully, by the time Zoya's shooting is done, Hrehaan will have his sibling and Hrithik will be able to travel again

After Nayanatara sacked, Rajini's daughter & Arya are in Q

Chennai, April 28 : Tamil film stars are queuing up to become brand ambassador of the Indian Premier League's (IPL) Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team, an official with the team said Monday.

The team's brand ambassador actress Nayantara was sacked by the team owners for failing to appear for the shooting of a promotional video Tuesday.

Among those who have offered their services are upcoming actor Arya and superstar Rajnikanth's daughter Saundarya, team's spokesman Gurunath Meiyappan told reporters here.

"We are discussing deals with the other stars as well," Meiyappan added.

While Arya will perform daredevil stunts during the forthcoming matches involving CSK, the offer by Saundarya has been kept secret.

During Wednesday's match, film stars Vijay, ace drummer Shiva Mani, singers Hariharan, Naresh Iyer and radio-jockey Suchi regaled the sell-out crowd.

For Vijay, the IPL deal is a windfall since the cricket publicity would aid his forthcoming May 3 release "Kuruvi" produced by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi's grandson Udayanidhi Stalin.

Mascarenhas arrival bolsters Rajasthan Royals

April 28, Jaipur

A buoyant Rajasthan Royals team, already with its tail up after three consecutive victories in the high-profile Twenty20 Indian Premier League, is further bolstered by England all rounder Dimitri Mascarenhas' arrival to join the squad.

An official close to the Rajasthan Royals team said while Mascaranhas reached Jaipur the Australian southpaw Darren Lehmann will be flying back to his country. "Dimitri reached Jaipur on Monday and Darren Lehmann, who was brought in for two games, is flying back to Australia. Lehmann was drafted into the team for Graeme Smith, who was not available for first two games but since then he has been instrumental in Royals success story." "The promising all rounder's presence will give us more options. He is rated very highly by former skipper Shane Warne who has played with him during his tenure as coach and captain with English county Hampshire. Dimitri enjoys Warne's confidence and can fill in as bowler and batsmen," he official

It is, however, still uncertain when Pakistan batsman Younis Khan will join the team. "As far as Pakistan captain Younis Khan is concerned uncertainty still prevails. But we are not hurt by his absence. Our younger have gelled to together nicely with the seniors and overseas players. It will be not wise for while to summon Younis and create unnecessary complications and disturb team’s harmony," he said. "Only four overseas players can play in a team. We have Shane Watson as certainty. This leaves us with only one overseas slot in team. Sohail Tanvir and Kamran Akmal can be utilized according to demands of the conditions," the official added.

On the team's surprice success, the official said, "the strength of Royals has been that there is only one dictating voice in the team, that of Shane Warne. He is a proven winner and has deep and wonderful understanding of the game. He has been cunning with his team selection and changes during the games. This why that Royals has been able to shrug off the tag of underdogs and are virtually one of the favourites now." Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Royals team which had a fabulous party after their victory in Bangalore. The team arrived in Jaipur today and will take on Kolkata Knight Riders in crucial match on May 1

Bhajji banned for 11 IPL matches

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who has been banned by the Indian Premier League for rest of its matches for slapping paceman S Sreesanth, has replied to the Indian Cricket Board's show cause notice issued to him. "He has given his reply, but I cannot reveal its contents," said BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah from Rajkot.

The temperamental bowler, who captained Mumbai Indians in their first three matches in the ongoing Twenty20 League, was asked by the BCCI for explanation for slapping Sreesanth after the IPL match against King's XI Punjab at Mohali on April 25.

Harbhajan, a BCCI-contracted player, was slapped with the show cause on April 26 and suspended for the fourth tie of his team against Deccan Chargers yesterday and given time till today to send his reply.

BCCI, under whose jurisdiction IPL is being held, has already appointed Sudhir Nanavati of the Gujarat Cricket Association as the Commissioner to inquire into the matter and his findings are to be put before its disciplinary committee headed by president Sharad Pawar for deciding the further course of action. "Accordingly, Harbhajan Singh has been banned for the rest of the IPL matches besides 100 per cent fine on his match fees," said Modi in the presence of Engineer, Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth. Under ICC code of conduct, level 4.2 offence relates to physically assaulting a fellow player, match official or spectators, the penalty for which ranges from a ban for a minimum of 5 Test matches or 10 one-day internationals and a maximum of life ban.

Modi said the code of conduct applied to both the players and officials. The match referee Engineer warned Sreesanth on his behaviour in the Mohali match and the previous matches. "He was told that in future his on-field aggression would be taken seriously," Modi said.

About Rajput, the IPL Commissioner said Rajput was found guilty of level 2 offence that pertained to acting against the spirit of the game. He was behind Harbhajan and he did not try to rein in the bowler. The video footage of the incident showed Harbhajan shaking hands with Punjab players. Sreesanth was third in the line but instead of shaking hands, Harbhajan actually slapped him. Rajput was following Harbhajan down the line but he went on shaking hands with other players, Modi said.

Harbhajan told reporters "all I want to say is whatever happened and whatever I did was grossly wrong. Sreesanth is like my brother. We have played together and we will play together again. "I got punishment for whatever I did but the Board has always treated me like its child and I hope they will continue to support me. When I come back to play again, I will bring smiles to your faces," he said.

After the press conference, Engineer got Harbhajan and Sreesanth to shake hands and hug each other with smile on their faces. "We are all human beings and mistakes do happen," Engineer said. Engineer said that a "very very fair" hearing was given to all the sides. "No track record has been taken into account because what actually happened is lot more serious than you guys think".

He had good words for both Harbhajan and Sreesanth. He said Sreesanth, who is such a lovely boy, remained quiet most of the time during the hearing. About Harbhajan Singh, the former Test wicketkeeper said in his view Harbhajan Singh is the greatest off-spinner India has produced. "But he stepped out of the line and paid the penalty".

Reacting to the decision, BCCI's Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty said "people were shocked by his action and I am sure everybody agrees with the stand that has been taken. Getting physical with a fellow player cannot be condemned enough", Shetty said. "Whatever the IPL has decided is applicable to their matches. The BCCI action will be separate. If found guilty, he will definitely face some action from the Board", he said. Shetty said that there was a need to counsel the younger players of the team. "I think as a teacher, these players need to be counselled because they are coming from backgrounds where they may not be all that well educated". Asked about Sreesanth's aggressive behaviour, he said the BCCI was not looking at him at the moment.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who has been banned by the Indian Premier League for rest of its matches for slapping paceman S Sreesanth, has replied to the Indian Cricket Board's show cause notice issued to him. "He has given his reply, but I cannot reveal its contents," said BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah from Rajkot.

The temperamental bowler, who captained Mumbai Indians in their first three matches in the ongoing Twenty20 League, was asked by the BCCI for explanation for slapping Sreesanth after the IPL match against King's XI Punjab at Mohali on April 25.

Harbhajan, a BCCI-contracted player, was slapped with the show cause on April 26 and suspended for the fourth tie of his team against Deccan Chargers yesterday and given time till today to send his reply.

BCCI, under whose jurisdiction IPL is being held, has already appointed Sudhir Nanavati of the Gujarat Cricket Association as the Commissioner to inquire into the matter and his findings are to be put before its disciplinary committee headed by president Sharad Pawar for deciding the further course of action. "Accordingly, Harbhajan Singh has been banned for the rest of the IPL matches besides 100 per cent fine on his match fees," said Modi in the presence of Engineer, Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth. Under ICC code of conduct, level 4.2 offence relates to physically assaulting a fellow player, match official or spectators, the penalty for which ranges from a ban for a minimum of 5 Test matches or 10 one-day internationals and a maximum of life ban.

Modi said the code of conduct applied to both the players and officials. The match referee Engineer warned Sreesanth on his behaviour in the Mohali match and the previous matches. "He was told that in future his on-field aggression would be taken seriously," Modi said.

About Rajput, the IPL Commissioner said Rajput was found guilty of level 2 offence that pertained to acting against the spirit of the game. He was behind Harbhajan and he did not try to rein in the bowler. The video footage of the incident showed Harbhajan shaking hands with Punjab players. Sreesanth was third in the line but instead of shaking hands, Harbhajan actually slapped him. Rajput was following Harbhajan down the line but he went on shaking hands with other players, Modi said.

Harbhajan told reporters "all I want to say is whatever happened and whatever I did was grossly wrong. Sreesanth is like my brother. We have played together and we will play together again. "I got punishment for whatever I did but the Board has always treated me like its child and I hope they will continue to support me. When I come back to play again, I will bring smiles to your faces," he said.

After the press conference, Engineer got Harbhajan and Sreesanth to shake hands and hug each other with smile on their faces. "We are all human beings and mistakes do happen," Engineer said. Engineer said that a "very very fair" hearing was given to all the sides. "No track record has been taken into account because what actually happened is lot more serious than you guys think".

He had good words for both Harbhajan and Sreesanth. He said Sreesanth, who is such a lovely boy, remained quiet most of the time during the hearing. About Harbhajan Singh, the former Test wicketkeeper said in his view Harbhajan Singh is the greatest off-spinner India has produced. "But he stepped out of the line and paid the penalty".

Reacting to the decision, BCCI's Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty said "people were shocked by his action and I am sure everybody agrees with the stand that has been taken. Getting physical with a fellow player cannot be condemned enough", Shetty said. "Whatever the IPL has decided is applicable to their matches. The BCCI action will be separate. If found guilty, he will definitely face some action from the Board", he said. Shetty said that there was a need to counsel the younger players of the team. "I think as a teacher, these players need to be counselled because they are coming from backgrounds where they may not be all that well educated". Asked about Sreesanth's aggressive behaviour, he said the BCCI was not looking at him at the moment.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who has been banned by the Indian Premier League for rest of its matches for slapping paceman S Sreesanth, has replied to the Indian Cricket Board's show cause notice issued to him. "He has given his reply, but I cannot reveal its contents," said BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah from Rajkot.

The temperamental bowler, who captained Mumbai Indians in their first three matches in the ongoing Twenty20 League, was asked by the BCCI for explanation for slapping Sreesanth after the IPL match against King's XI Punjab at Mohali on April 25.

Harbhajan, a BCCI-contracted player, was slapped with the show cause on April 26 and suspended for the fourth tie of his team against Deccan Chargers yesterday and given time till today to send his reply.

BCCI, under whose jurisdiction IPL is being held, has already appointed Sudhir Nanavati of the Gujarat Cricket Association as the Commissioner to inquire into the matter and his findings are to be put before its disciplinary committee headed by president Sharad Pawar for deciding the further course of action. "Accordingly, Harbhajan Singh has been banned for the rest of the IPL matches besides 100 per cent fine on his match fees," said Modi in the presence of Engineer, Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth. Under ICC code of conduct, level 4.2 offence relates to physically assaulting a fellow player, match official or spectators, the penalty for which ranges from a ban for a minimum of 5 Test matches or 10 one-day internationals and a maximum of life ban.

Modi said the code of conduct applied to both the players and officials. The match referee Engineer warned Sreesanth on his behaviour in the Mohali match and the previous matches. "He was told that in future his on-field aggression would be taken seriously," Modi said.

About Rajput, the IPL Commissioner said Rajput was found guilty of level 2 offence that pertained to acting against the spirit of the game. He was behind Harbhajan and he did not try to rein in the bowler. The video footage of the incident showed Harbhajan shaking hands with Punjab players. Sreesanth was third in the line but instead of shaking hands, Harbhajan actually slapped him. Rajput was following Harbhajan down the line but he went on shaking hands with other players, Modi said.

Harbhajan told reporters "all I want to say is whatever happened and whatever I did was grossly wrong. Sreesanth is like my brother. We have played together and we will play together again. "I got punishment for whatever I did but the Board has always treated me like its child and I hope they will continue to support me. When I come back to play again, I will bring smiles to your faces," he said.

After the press conference, Engineer got Harbhajan and Sreesanth to shake hands and hug each other with smile on their faces. "We are all human beings and mistakes do happen," Engineer said. Engineer said that a "very very fair" hearing was given to all the sides. "No track record has been taken into account because what actually happened is lot more serious than you guys think".

He had good words for both Harbhajan and Sreesanth. He said Sreesanth, who is such a lovely boy, remained quiet most of the time during the hearing. About Harbhajan Singh, the former Test wicketkeeper said in his view Harbhajan Singh is the greatest off-spinner India has produced. "But he stepped out of the line and paid the penalty".

Reacting to the decision, BCCI's Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty said "people were shocked by his action and I am sure everybody agrees with the stand that has been taken. Getting physical with a fellow player cannot be condemned enough", Shetty said. "Whatever the IPL has decided is applicable to their matches. The BCCI action will be separate. If found guilty, he will definitely face some action from the Board", he said. Shetty said that there was a need to counsel the younger players of the team. "I think as a teacher, these players need to be counselled because they are coming from backgrounds where they may not be all that well educated". Asked about Sreesanth's aggressive behaviour, he said the BCCI was not looking at him at the moment.

Trisha and Vijay once again to team up

Nayanthara’s exit as the brand ambassador of the Chennai Super King’s team could have come as a shock to many. But the lady has now come out with her version to justify her absence during the first match. Blaming her ill health as the cause of absence, Nayan said that as per the agreement between her and the IPL she was required to participate in at

least three matches but not necessarily the inaugural match. “With many matches still pending it was not right on the part of the organizers to expel me,” Nayanthara rued. She also explicitly made it clear that she was willing to stick to her commitments in future.

Meanwhile, the distraught organizers are said to have approached Trisha in this regard. Will Trisha accept the mantle? Well, there are many more matches to come…

Aamir injured, Ghajini stalled

The shooting of Ghajini, which was into its final phases, suffered a big blow when Aamir Khan hurt himself during the filming of an action sequence. The scene was being shot at the Rammoji Rao film city in Hyderabad and required Aamir to lift and throw a heavy man. While doing this Aamir sustained an injury to his hamstring. Shooting was immediately called off.

The portion being shot was the ‘bald’ part of the movie and hence the action too needed to be intense. If reports are to be believed, the shooting of Ghajini will resume only after Aamir has regained full fitness and going by what we hear in cricket and football about hamstring injuries, they don’t heal in a hurry. Wishing Aamir Khan a speedy recovery

Krishna 100-day Centres

S. No.	Centre	Theater Name
1	RTC X Roads	Sudharshan 70mm
2	Dilsukh Nagar	Konark
3	Khammam	Nartaki
4	Karimnagar	Mamatha
5	Mahbubnagar	Venkateswara
6	Nizamabad	Nataraj
7	Nirmal	Nataraj
8	Vizag	Sangam
9	Gajuwaka	Lakshmi
10	Vijayanagaram	Leela Mahal
11	Srikakulam	Saraswathi Mahal
12	Chittivalasa	Ramulamma
13	Bobbili	Sri Krishna
14	Parvathipuram	Balaji
15	Palasa	Hari Shankar
16	Raajaam	Vasavi
17	Kakinada	Sangeeth
18	Rajahmundry	Ashoka
19	Pithapuram	Sri Ramana
20	Tatipaka	Padma Priya
21	Jaggampet	Krishnaveni
22	Eluru	Vijayalakshmi
23	Bheemavaram	Vijayalakshmi
24	Tanuku	Narendra
25	Tadepalligudem	Krishna Balaji
26	Jangareddygudem	Srinivasa
27	Nellore	New Talkies
28	Vijayawada	Raj
29	Machilipatnam	Vinayaka
30	Gudiwada	Sarath
31	Vuyyuru	Srinivasa
32	Guntur	Bala Bhaskar
33	Tenali	Ramakrishna
34	Ongole	Srinivasa
35	Adoni	Satyam
36	Kurnool	Venkatesh
37	Kadapa	Ameer
38	Tirupathi	Sri Rama
39	Madanapalli	Sai Chitra
40	Srikalahasti	Srinivasa
41	Proddutur	BVS
42	Kadiri	Radhika
43	Nandyal	Abhiram

vijay surprised by Dhoni

Vijay and Dhoni have found a fan in each other! Before Vijay was to meet the star cricketer, he thought, "I was feeling like - I am going to meet a big cricket captain - but he was so down-to-earth. He said, ‘Hey I know you, I've seen you on TV’, and he made me feel so very comfortable." Dhoni responded by saying, "He's a great guy, I've met him just once

during the launch function. It'll be interesting to know him better and of course the film industry here too – that'll be a relaxing time.”
The Chennai Superkings take on Mumbai Indians today. As IPL Chennai’s brand ambassador Vijay is confident of a spectacular turn out. "Definitely all my fans will come – they are all cricket lovers too so they'll definitely come and cheer the team. Besides my support, the team will also have my fans' support. "I saw the Mohali match. We've taken 250 runs which no other team's got so far – ours is a strong team that can win under any circumstances – my mind's totally in tomorrow's match," he said at a press conference yesterday. With two stars, one from cinema and one from cricket, to cheer the team and lead the team, respectively, today’s match will be special treat for fans of Dhoni and Vijay.

Audio Review - Parugu

Melody clicks in Parugu

- Sundeep Reddy

Bommarillu Bhaskar is back with this second movie for astute producer Dil Raju. Together, they touched the hearts of many movie lovers with a poignant relationship drama in Bommarillu, so one almost unhesitatingly assumes that their second venture would be as entertaining as their first, if not more. Quite honestly, in Telugu film industry there is nothing more disappointing than a director, debuting with great promise and talent, falling with a thud in his/her second outing. Off the top of my head, I can come up with at least five examples but that’s not what you and I are here for.

If Bommarillu brought acclaim for Siddarth and Genelia, one wonders how Parugu can further cement the soaring popularity of Allu Arjun and establish a newbie like Sheila. Despite Bommarillu being a father-son saga, Genelia stole the show. Similarly, will Parugu, being touted as a father-daughter relationship drama, give Arjun ample scope for a rare display of histrionics?

Mani Sharma works for the first time with Bhaskar, Raju and Arjun in Parugu and his compositions primarily reek of melody here. Also, almost all the songs come across as situational, meaning, visuals could enhance the way the songs work on you. Unlike Jalsa’s music, that caught on instantly and didn’t need any backing from the movie, Parugu’s songs may take time to grow on and if the movie clicks, then there is no stopping this album.

1. Parugulu
This racy song with techno beats almost sounds as if the hero is stalking the heroine warning her that her running away from him, after enticing him, is of no use – vostunnaa nEnE vostunnaa, voddannaa vodilEstaanaa. Sirivennela’s words are mouthed in a zesty manner by Ranjith.

2. Nammavemo
A few of the opening beats (not strings) of this melodious number sound very similar to those in Chiguraakuchaatu chilaka [Gudumba Shankar]. The music that comes during ‘nijamga kallatho’ part of it was inspired by ‘Hey Shona’ from Tara Rum Pum film. Saketh, who sounds so much like SP Charan, has a pleasant voice and sings Anantha Sriram’s poetic words with the flair of a veteran. Impressive!

3. Yelagelaga
Despite a folkish tune, Mani maintains a certain spunky flair in the orchestration, in an attempt to not make this number sound like just another rustic song. While Kailash Kher sounds nasal at places, its Saindhavi’s chirpy rendition that clicks the most. Anantha Sriram’s lyrics are simple and sensible, given the feeling one gets about the lack of a situational demand for this song.

4. Chal Chal Chalo
Chandrabose’s youthful lyrics for this hero introduction number set the mood of the film quite well talking about the restless nature of the hero- gira gira tirigE nyzam, nilabaDanika yE nimiSham, telling us that the hero is always on the run seeking fun and adventure like a typical youth. Ranjith’s spirited rendition suits the mood of the song.

5. Hrudayam
A soulful number this one. It’s good to see Mani use Hemachandra for a variety of songs in his albums – bouncy Niluvave [Lakshyam], melodious Ararey [Ontari], foot-tapping Vayasunamy [Kantri] and a pathos song here. Needless to say, Hemachandra has been giving his best. Given the number of such songs Sirivennela has penned in the past, he never runs out of words that leave an impression on you. halaahalam naaku sontam, nuvvu teesuko amrutam anakunta aa premei prema kaagaladaa. Johaaru Sirivennela garu! Mani’s orchestration, being in tandem with the melancholic mood, makes this number instantly likeable.

6. Manakanna Podiche
A right mix of melody, teen maar beats and a tapping tempo thrown in. Rahul Nambiar’s lively vocals, with right amount of gamakaalu, add a lot of verve to this number. Anantha Sriram’s lyrics remind you of Sirivennela’s writing style. This promising lyricist gets to pen three songs with varying moods in this album and his work gets high marks everywhere. Good going sir.

Mani’s songs for Parugu are not the instantly chart topping kind. While Parugulu, Yelagelaga, and Chal Chal Chalo are racy, it’s the other songs soaked in melody that work their charm on you slowly. One appreciable aspect of this album is that it is totally devoid of crass and silly lyrics and that in itself is a big achievement for a Telugu cinema soundtrack.

To cut a long story short, it’s the melodious numbers that click in this album.