Sir Don Bradman

By Kersi Meher-Homji

Sri Lanka beat India by 51 runs in the Tri-Nation match in Brisbane last night (Tuesday the 22^nd) to go ahead of India on the Points Table.

The win was well-deserved but India’s captain Virender Sehwag and Little Master Sachin Tendulkar should hold their head high.

Why, you may ask? Sehwag made a second ball duck and Tendulkar scored only 22.

It was their sporting spirit that won over my esteem.

This is how it happened. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was bowling the 40^th over of the match. Sri Lankan batsman Lahiru Thirimanne was at the bowler’s end.

Lahiru Thirimanne

Thirimanne left the crease before Ashwin delivered the ball. So Ashwin broke the stumps and looked at the umpire for a run out decision. Technically and legally the non-striker Thirimanne was out but to avoid future controversy, the two on-field umpires consulted the third umpire.

However, rather than lifting the finger the umpires asked skipper Sehwag whether he would like to appeal. Sehwag had a chat with Tendulkar and both showed sporting spirit of the noblest kind and did not appeal. It was cricket played in the true spirit of the game.

Would an Australian or Sri Lankan or any other captain showed such sportsmanship? I don’t know but I doubt it.

Thirimanne survived. He was 44 and Sri Lanka 4-196 then and went on to top score with 62 as his country reached 289 and eventually won the game.

Would SL have reached this total and gone on to win by 51 runs if Thirimanne was given out in the 40^th over?

It’s a grey area and no one can be sure as that would be subjective thinking.

What annoyed me was that Thirimanne continued rushing out of the bowling crease before the Indian bowlers delivered the ball a few more times. Also Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene said at the Press Conference that his bowlers would not have appealed if an Indian non-striker had left the bowling crease.

As if!

By the Rule recently introduced, what Aswin did was legitimate and the umpire should have declared Thirimanne out when he was 42 and not consulted Sehwag. The Rule reads:

“The bowler is permitted, before releasing the ball and provided he has not completed his usual delivery, to attempt to rule out the non-striker.”

This incident reminded me of the famously controversial “Mankanded” incident 65 years ago.

Vinoo Mankad

On India’s first tour of Australia in 1947-48, India’s magnificent all-rounder Vinoo Mankad was involved in an episode which gave him unjustified notoriety.

When bowling against a strong Australian XI in Sydney he noticed Bill Brown at the bowler’s end leaving the crease before he delivered the ball.  He warned Brown once but next time ran him out by whipping off the bails in the act of delivering the ball. Mankad did the same in the Sydney Test and a new cricket phrase was coined: to be Mankaded.

The great Don Bradman (who was the captain on both occasions) defended Mankad in his autobiography Farewell to Cricket: “In some quarters Mankad’s sportsmanship was questioned. For the life of me I cannot understand why… By backing up too far or too early, the non-striker is very obviously gaining an unfair advantage.”

When the team departed for India, the Don presented Mankad with an autographed photograph with the words “Well played, Mankad” inscribed on it. Mankad treasured this till he died.

Subsequently rules were changed and this type of dismissal was considered illegal.

But this year the Rule was changed again and the Indians would have been justified in appealing for Thirimanne for backing up before Ashwin delivered the ball.

Especially, as Ashwin had warned Thirimanne before breaking the stumps in the 40^th over, to quote skipper Sehwag.

But just as MS Dhoni had recalled England’s batsman Ian Bell in the July 2011 Trent Bridge Test for walking off before the umpire had officially called “over” for the tea break, Sehwag showed true spirit of the game.

CENTURY ENTERTAINMENT presents

Coming to Australia is the story of a teenage Fijian-Indian boy’s journey through the cultural swamp of bureaucracy to the promised land of permanent residency. A collection of oddball characters & anecdotes told through the eyes of this fish-out-of-water.

Umit Bali is one of Sydney’s most exhilarating new comedians. He has supported international comedians Lee Camp (USA), Tony Woods (USA), Glenn Wool (CAN), Al Pitcher (UK) and Jon Dore (USA).

Experience Umit Bali, up-close-and-personal before he starts selling out stadiums.

“I saw Umit Bali the other night and was blown away. Equal parts edgy and silly, but both hilarious. Catch him while you can still afford it.” Wil Anderson

“Umit Bali provides fast-paced life-as-an-immigrant humour, contrasting growing up as a Fijian-Indian with his current suburban Sydney domicile, and how he’s coped with always being some sort of outsider. He’s a very appealing young comedian…” Gagging For It

Catch Umit at the 2012 Melbourne International & the Sydney Comedy Festivals.

MELBOURNE:

TOWN HALL

April 12-22 (no Monday)

6pm (5pm Sundays)

SYDNEY:

THE FACTORY THEATRE, MARRICKVILLE Wednesday, May 9, 6pm

Bookings: www.comedyfestival.com.au

Management: Century Entertainment (o2) 9519 9231

Kushma Ram says she loves saris, “Sari is an exclusive garment and I love the touch, the feel of it. The materials, the fabric, their colours are so exciting that nobody can escape the charm of a Sari.”

Kushma Ram brings to Sydney the rich tradition of Sari with her Kay Collections in an exhibition to Australia which will show the variety and diversity of Indian weaving and embroidery portrayed through saris. Kushma has been working on the collection over the last two years, travelling to various states in India and observing the complex processes involved in producing the saris.

“Only those with a passion for the painstaking and often tedious work can produce such fine pieces of art,” says she.

“This unique collection of the great traditional Indian dress is seen through a modern lense reflecting rapidly changing India. India is a country of colours and tradition. Different styles and materials are used in dresses for different occasions. I am in touch with weavers from traditional heartland where the artisans have carried the art of making saris through generations. I travel all over India to see and observe and talk to the people and also ask them to come up with special designs exclusively for my collection.”

In Sydney the exhibition will be on in Homebush and Liverpool:

• 10-11 March at the Novotel Hotel, Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush 2127

• 17 -18 March at the Liverpool Catholic Club, Liverpool 2170 .

In Melbourne Kushma will be exhibiting her collection in the Woodend Library during Cultural Diversity Week (19-25 March).

“The March 2012 exhibitions launches the Gulmarg Collection. Gulmarg is an outstandingly beautiful region in Kashmir.  This collection brings to Sydney some of the finest pashmina, silk, wool and crepe saris that express the elegance and extremely fine craftmanship of different forms of Kashmiri embroidery,” says Kushma.

The exhibitions also features India-wide national award winning handloom sarees that express the culture, diversity, talent and most of all, the creative energy of India.  These works include bandhni from Bhuj in Gujarat, Ikat from Orissa, Baluchari from Varanasi, Jamdani from Bengal, Madhubani sarees from Bihar, Benarasi Katan, Chikan work from Lucknow, Kantha work from Bengal, bloc printing and embroideries on muga and tussar silk, and embroidery work on khaddi.

Please the website www.kaycollections.com for a small sample of the collection that will be on sale.

Mr. Biren Nanda, presently Ambassador of India to Indonesia has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Australia.

He is expected to take up his assignment in Canberra shortly.

Upon completion of his Post Graduation in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics, Mr. Biren Nanda joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1978.

Mr. Nanda has previously served as a diplomat in Indian Missions in Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, Washington, D.C. and Tokyo. He was the Consul General of India in Shanghai from 1996-2000 and Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of India in Tokyo from 2000-2004.

Prior to taking up his assignment in Jakarta, Mr. Nanda was the Head of the Division in the Ministry of External Affairs which looks after relations between India and countries of Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Mr. Nanda is presently Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to the Government of the Republic of Indonesia since June 10, 2008. Mr. Nanda is married to Mrs. Rukmani Nanda and has one son, aged 23 years.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

By Kersi Meher-Homji

Like billion other Indians I fretted and fumed last night (Sunday, 12^th February) as I cajoled and yelled, “Come on Dhoni, stop this hit and run singles nonsense and start smashing fours and sixes.”

India needed 27 runs off three overs, then 17 off two and 13 off the final over to win, getting more difficult by the minute and only cool cat Dhoni looking unconcerned. To me he was losing a game which should have been won ten minutes ago.

But like mothers Dhoni knew best. He kept it to the last, smashing a huge six, and hits for two and three runs in the final heart-stopping over off a nervous Clint McKay to enable India to defeat Australia in a one-day international (ODI) at Adelaide for the first time.

Now suddenly, Michael Clarke has a fight on his hands apart from hamstring injury in his legs.

After months of looking down at the barrel of doom and gloom, the MS Dhoni-led Indians are looking at the stars.

The 2011 World Cup winners are back in the groove, for once appearing like world champions and not a pale blue imitation of last year’s red hot conquerors.

Has skipper Dhoni’s slow-release innings on Sunday night made the conversion from zeroes to heroes?

India has won two successive One Day Internationals (ODIs) in the Tri-nation series, beating Sri Lanka (the 2011 World Cup runners up) last Wednesday on the WACA and Australia, the top-ranked ODI team, in Adelaide; both by 4 wickets.

Sunday’s titanic clash between Australia and India on the Adelaide Oval was both a heart-stopper and a morale-booster for the down-in-the-dumps Indians.

Much has already been written on this epic Adelaide thriller, India winning with only two balls in hand. But here are two milestones for Dhoni few know about.

From 11 September 2011 to 12 February 2012, the Indian captain has played 10 ODIs (two v. England in England, five v. England in India and so far three against Australia in Australia and has scored 417 runs at an average of 208.05.

When he was dismissed for 29 in the first ODI v. Australia on the MCG on 5 February 2012, he averaged 369.00 in this period as he was unbeaten in his previous seven ODIs.

Here are his scores in his last 10 ODIs:

In the fourth ODI against England at Lord’s 11th September he had scored 78 not out and in the fifth and final ODI at Cardiff five days later, he made an unbeaten 50.

In the five-match ODI series against England in India last October, Dhoni was not dismissed even once. His scores: 87 not out, did not bat, 35 not out, 15 not out and 75 not out. In all 212 runs in five consecutive matches.

Thus in these seven ODIs, he had scored 340 runs without getting out.

In the current ODI series, he scored 29 v. Australia in Melbourne, 4 against Sri Lanka in Perth and 44 unbeaten and winning runs against Australia in Perth on Sunday.

Currently he averages 208.50 from last September to 6 February.

His batting average in ODIs is a healthy 50.96. Only Australia’s Michael Bewan has a better average (53.58) among those who have played over 60 ODIs.

Also Dhoni’s batting average of 104.89 in successful chases (minimum 25 innings) is the highest in ODIs. The next best is by Australia’s Michael Clarke (89.20).

Statistics could be misleading but the way Dhoni composed himself in the final few overs, the message is clear. “We may have been rolled over in Tests but we are back in business.

And it was not just Dhoni. India bowled and fielded well (for a change) and Man of the Match Gautam Gambhir batted with resolve, his confidence back with a resolute 92.

However, his criticism of Dhoni for keeping it to the last over may suggest a rift in the team.

Unless Sri Lanka upsets India today in Adelaide on Tuesday, India are certain to meet Australia in the Final series.

So far the Tri-nation series has produced spine-chilling contests. Let’s hope the trend continues as none of the three teams likes to lose.

Message from Prime Minister Julia Gillard  

After 20 years of debate, the Gillard Government’s Clean Energy Future legislation has been passed by our Parliament and will become law.

The Government has fought hard to do the right thing. We have acted to protect our environment for our children and our grandchildren.

The Australian Government’s decision to introduce a carbon price has received a lot of attention – unfortunately a lot of what has been said about the carbon price has been wrong.

I want to assure you the carbon price is not a tax on individuals or families. Instead 500 of the biggest polluting companies will pay for the carbon pollution they pump into our atmosphere.

These polluters will now have an incentive to cut their carbon pollution. If they reduce their pollution they will pay less of the carbon price.

In addition, our plan will help Australian companies become cleaner by funding innovative ideas and new clean energy technologies.

The Government understands some people are concerned polluters may pass on the carbon price to their customers. That is why we have a household assistance package in our plan to financially support families.

The Government will use at least half of the money raised from the carbon price to support Australian households. Nine out of ten households will receive tax cuts and increases in their pensions and allowances to assist them with any costs passed on by polluters.

The Treasury Department has calculated that food prices, for example, will go up by less than $1.00 a week on average following the introduction of a price on carbon. This increase will be offset by the household assistance package and most households will receive enough assistance on average to fully cover what will be a modest rise in cost of living. In fact, more than 4 million households will actually be better off on average.

As Prime Minister I want to ensure all Australians are presented with the facts. My Government is committed to delivering on our access and equity principles and ensuring that government information is communicated to all Australians. That is why we are providing materials explaining what the price on carbon will mean for your community.

The Indian Australian community has contributed immeasurably to the Australian community. As a Government we recognise the vital and robust contribution the Australian Indian community continues to make to the success, prosperity and cultural richness of our nation.  Australia has been enriched by the contribution of the generations of Indian families who have enhanced our national character and contributed immensely to our social fabric through hard work, fortitude, and drive.

With this plan, the Gillard Government has acted to help Australia meet the economic and environmental challenges of competing in a low-pollution world.

Carbon pricing is a necessary reform to keep our economy competitive and ensure it continues to prosper. It also the right thing to do for our children to ensure they have a strong future.

To find out more about the Government’s Clean Energy Future plan, including what assistance you might receive, visit www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au.

The carbon price – your questions answered

When does the carbon price start?

• 1 July 2012

Do I have to pay the carbon price?  

• No. Around 500 of the country’s largest polluting businesses will be covered by the carbon pricing mechanism.  It’s not a tax on households.

How much is it?

• The carbon price will start at $23 per tonne of carbon pollution.

Where will the money raised go?

• More than half of the money raised from the carbon price will be used to assist households.
• The rest will be invested in supporting jobs and in clean energy and climate change programs.

How will it affect households?

• Treasury estimates that the carbon price will increase the consumer price index by just 0.7 per cent. That means the average household’s food bill will go up less than a dollar a week.
• To help with these modest price impacts, most households will be given tax cuts and/or increases in government payments.

Will I get assistance? How much?

• Nine out of every 10 households will receive tax cuts, increased payments or both.
• For example: a typical family with two children with an income of $85,000 is expected to face price increases of $570 per year but will receive assistance of around $948 per year.
• To find out what you are eligible for you should go to the Clean Energy Future website or call 1800 057 590. There’s an estimator that can help you work out how much you should expect to receive in tax cuts and assistance at www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au.

When do I receive the assistance?

• Increases in pensions and benefits will start with a lump sum payment in May-June 2012 followed by an ongoing increase in fortnightly payments – from March 2013 for pensioners.
• Tax cuts will start from July 2012.

Is the assistance just a once off?

• No. The assistance is permanent and will increase over time.  The Government will review the adequacy of the assistance package each year.

Will it affect petrol prices for my family?

• No. There will be no carbon price on petrol or diesel for passenger cars and other light on-road vehicles.

What about small businesses?

• Small business will not pay a carbon price.
• Small business will not face any extra red tape. They will not need to monitor carbon pollution or fill in any forms.
  • The government will provide $240 million to help small businesses save energy and get advice to help to grow their business sustainably.
  • The Government will also offer a more generous tax benefit to small businesses by increasing the small business instant asset write-off threshold to $6,500. This will increase cash flow for small business and help with the cost of investing in new equipment.

Will it hurt our economy?

• No. Treasury’s economic modelling shows the Australian economy continues to grow, jobs continue to grow and average incomes continue to grow under a carbon price. In fact there’ll be an additional 1.6 million jobs in our economy by 2020.

Will it reduce pollution?

• The carbon price will see Australia’s annual carbon pollution reduced by at least 159 million tonnes in 2020 – that is equivalent to taking around 45 million cars of the road.

A mix bouquet of yellow and pink roses mean “friendship” while the combination of red and pink roses gives the receiver message of strong romance and passion.

A bunch of red and white roses convey message of unanimity and strong relationship.

Red and yellow rose’s bouquets signify faithfulness and joyous feelings.

A bouquet of red, orange and white roses means “pure depth of love”.

White and coral flowers convey message “you are heavenly and I desire you”.

The number of flowers also has a special meaning.

A single red rose shows love, two roses in ribbon together to form a single stem represent a promise, an engagement or coming marriage.

Six roses mean I miss you.

Seven roses signify fascination.

A dozen shows thankfulness.

Eighteen roses mean, “I am sorry”.

Twenty-five shows congratulations and fifty-show unconditional love.

To convey your message knot the ribbon on the left of the flower and knot the ribbon on right side to send message about the receiver.

To receive from right hand means acceptance while with left hand means disagreement.

141 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion.

More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine’s Day.

Over $1 billion worth of chocolate is purchased for Valentine’s Day in the U.S.

189 million stems of roses are sold in the U.S. on Valentine’s Day.

15% of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day.

Modern Version of Valentine’s Message goes thus:

The rose is red, the violet’s blue,
The honey’s sweet, and so are you.
Thou art my love and I am thine;
I drew thee to my Valentine:
The lot was cast and then I drew,
And Fortune said it shou’d be you.

Saint Valentine’s Day, commonly shortened to Valentine’s Day, is a holiday observed on February 14 honoring one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine.  It was first established byPope Gelsius I in 496 AD, and was later deleted from the General Roman Calendar of saints in 1969 byPope Paul VI.

The day first became associated withromantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionary, and sending greeting cards (known as “valentines“).

Modern Valentine’s Day symbols include the heart -shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.

Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine.

The Valentines honored on February 14 are Valentine of Rome (Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and Valentine of Terni (Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae). Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who was martyred about AD 269 and was buried on the Via Flaminia. Valentine of Terni became bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) about AD 197 and is said to have been martyred during the persecution under Emperor Aurelian.

On the evening before Valentine was to be executed, he would have written the first “valentine” card himself, addressed to a young girl variously identified as his beloved, as the jailer’s daughter whom he had befriended and healed. It was a note that read “From your Valentine.”

Modern times

In 1797, a British publisher issued The Young Man’s Valentine Writer, which contained scores of suggested sentimental verses for the young lover unable to compose his own. Printers had already begun producing a limited number of cards with verses and sketches, called “mechanical valentines”. Paper Valentines became so popular in England in the early 19th century that they were assembled in factories. Fancy Valentines were made with real lace and ribbons, with paper lace introduced in the mid-19th century. In the UK, just under half of the population spend money on their Valentines and around 1.3 billion pounds are spent yearly on cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts, with an estimated 25 million cards being sent.

In the second half of the 20th century, the practice of exchanging cards chocolates  packed in a red satin, heart-shaped box. In the 1980s, the diamond   industry began to promote Valentine’s Day as an occasion for giving jewelry.

The rise of Internet popularity at the turn of the millennium is creating new traditions. Millions of people use, every year, digital means of creating and sending Valentine’s Day greeting messages such ase-cards, love coupons  or printable greeting cards. An estimated 15 million e-valentines were sent in 2010.

In India, in the antiquity, there was a tradition of adoring Kamadeva, the lord of love; exemplificated by the erotic carvings in theKhajuraho Group of Monuments and by the writing of theKamasutra treaty of lovemaking. This tradition was lost around the Middle Ages, when Kamadeva was no longer celebrated, and public displays of sexual affections became frowned upon. Around 1992 Valentine’s Day started catching in India, with special TV and radio programs, and even love letter competitions. The economic liberalization also helped the Valentine card industry. In modern times, Hindu and Islamic traditionalists consider the holiday to be cultural contamination from the West, result of the globalization in India. ThoughShiv Sena and the Sangh Parivar have asked their followers to shun the holiday and the “public admission of love” because of them being “alien to Indian culture”, Valentine’s Day is becoming increasingly popular in India.

 
Indian Down Under E paper Jan – Feb 2012

By Kersi Meher-Homji

An unconvincing win but a victory all the same! Thanks to Ravichandran Ashwin’s all-round excellence and Virat Kohli’s never-say-die batting India defeated Sri Lanka last night (8 February) in Perth by four wickets with 20 balls to spare.

On paper it looks an easy win but actually it was not. It was a struggle all the way and when India, chasing a victory target of 234, lost Kohli (77 runs) to become 6 for 181, it looked any body’s game.

Fortunately, the two Ravis — Ashwin 30 not out and Jadeja not out 24 — added 53 precious unbeaten runs to enable India to chalk their first victory in the tri-nation one-day international (ODI) series.

After going winless in the four-Test series and in the first of the two Twenty20s, MS Dhoni’s men have won two of their last three matches, defeating Australia by eight wickets in the second T20 match in Melbourne and in their second ODI match, against Sri Lanka in Perth last night.

As at 9 February, Australia narrowly leads this series with five points. India is behind with four points and Sri Lankans are pointless so far.

The Perth match was a thriller as both teams were desperate to win. India bowled and fielded superbly to restrict Sri Lanka to 8 for 233, spinner Ashwin taking 3 for 32 off 10 overs and quickie Zaheer Khan 2-44.

Behind every successful bowler there is a quick-thinking wicket-keeper and Dhoni affected two magnificent stumpings, took a smart catch and ran out Thirimanne, thanks to a brilliant throw by Rohit Sharma.

India opened their batting with Virender Sehwag (who was caught for 10 attempting a rash stroke, again!) and Sachin Tendulkar who was bowled for 48, missing his 100^th international century, again.

Kohli then took over and hit 77 brilliant runs, enriched with 8 fours and a six, despite an injury and severe cramps. But when he was run out, it looked grim for India. We expected the all-too-familiar collapse.

But Man of the Match Ashwin and Jadeja, the $2 million dollar man for IPL-5, took India to victory.

There was a bit of comedy at the end when three Sri Lankan fielders were in a position to catch Ashwin but each left it to the other and the lucky batsman had a huge winning smile on his face.

Hope this victory revitalises the Indian team who had a terrible time down under till the end of January.

I don’t know what you think, readers, but the parochial attitude of Channel 9 disappoints me. Matches in the series not involving Australia (namely India vs. Sri Lanka) will not be televised on Channel 9 but on GEM. I wonder whether everyone in Australia gets GEM channel on their television.

Speak up, Swamy Army!

A 40 Lakh necklace on order as Kareena and Saif plan their big day!

Kareena and Saif are getting engaged this month though they are tight lipped about their BIG day, it is heard that the wedding preparations are on in full swing.

If buzz is to be believed, Bebo has placed an order for a royal neck piece, costing about 40 Lakh. The necklace is said to extend from her neck to her waist. Made with 400 gm gold with expensive gems studded on it, such kind of necklaces are generally worn by the royals.

The jewelery will be designed by a Rajkot-based Jeweler, who is pretty famous for designing such royal jewelery.

Ritu Kumar is said to be designing Bebo’s wedding attaire. It is also heard that Saif plans to gift Bebo a big diamond rock as her wedding gift.

And if the latest buzz is to be believed, it seems Kareena Kapoor is pregnant. Well, in a recent picture clicked at the airport, the actress was spotted wearing an over sized tee, trying to hide her baby bump, with a shawl.

It is also heard that the actress looked worn out and was captured zooming out of the airport. At a recent award event too, the actress draped a transparent saree and many thought her to be carrying.

The news of Bebo-Saif’s engagement to take place on the 10th of this month is confirmed. However, the couple will tie the knot only once their film ‘Agent Vinod’ releases.

Currently, Kareena is busy promoting her upcoming film, ‘Ek Main Aur Ek Tu’ which is slated for 10th Feb release.

…..

Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi proud parents of a baby girl

Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi became proud parents of a baby girl on Friday, January 20, 2012. The gorgeous couple have named their daughter Saira Bhupathi.

Raveena Tandon tweeted, “My friends, Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi are proud parents of a baby girl!!Saira Bhupathi Welcome Angel”!!

India’s tennis star Sania Mirza’s father’s Blackberry status said, “Welcoming Saira Bhupathi in this world.”

……

Ritesh Deshmuck and Genelia’s wedding talk of the town

Genelia D’Souza looked a stunner in a red and gold Shane and Falguni Peacock lehenga while Ritesh exuded princely charm, in a black floral design sherwani adorned with a jeweled flower brooch, white aligarhi bottom and a stylish bouffant hairdo, at their wedding reception at Hotel Grand Hyatt in Mumbai.

After 8 years of being together and now Ritesh and Genelia are now husband and wife. The wedding took place at the suburban Grand Hyatt hotel on 3 Friday.

The groom was all decked up for the D day in a white sherwani and red turban. Waving to the onlookers, Ritesh entered the venue on a Ghodi. He was glowing with excitement.

The super cute and bubbly Bride was dressed in a red and gold lehenga designed by Ritu Kumar. Needless to say, she looked stunning. It was a Maharashtrian wedding for the couple.

The guest list included: Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahid Kapoor, Asin, Ajay Devgan, Kajol, Akshay Kumar, Karan Johar, Ashutosh Gowariker, Sajid Khan, Sajid Nadiadwala, Satish Shah, Jacky Bhagnani, Vashu Bhagnani and Ramesh Taurani. The wedding saw the presence of a lot of politicians as well.

Announcing his wedding on the social networking site, Riteish Deshmukh posted a pic of him with his oh so gorgeous wife.