Mixing business with sports on Star

HEARD the latest news? With a host of news channels cropping up, Star News channel too has set upon a major expansion drive. And there’s good news for business and sports enthusiasts.

For one, a daily sports bulletin at 9.50 p.m. every weekday. The latest in national and international sports, triumphs and defeats — cricket, soccer, golf, tennis, Olympics and more. Join Misha Grewal and Sonali Chander at the various sporting venues and savour in the excitement of the latest in sports.

The second is Star Business News, at 9.30 Monday to Friday which reports on both Indian and international business news, stock markets from India and abroad and all news that concerns finance.

The state of the market each day, the major gains and losses of the day. Major business stories, takeovers, mergers, strategic alliances, marketing policies and reactions.

In short everything to make you business savvy and sporty at the same time.

Tabby’s songs

Visit any classy pub, club or hotel in Singapore and chances are Tabitha’s name still sets dance floors on fire. And why not? Tabitha (Tabby to friends) has been a star attraction variously at the Raffles, Hyatt, Sheraton and even The Hard Rock Cafe.

And now the lissome singer is out to work her magic on Indian pop lovers. No not another run-of-the-mill album but (believe it or not) a Tamil album. You may not comprehend the lyrics of En Kaadhala but listen to the beat. It is pulsating and is already cutting across language barriers.

But more than the beat it is the video of the title track which is likely to burn the airwaves of most leading music channels.

But why Tamil? Tabitha is ready with her reply... "My mother is part Tamil and part French, which is why I love truffles and pate de fois gras. My father’s British but fluent in Hindi and Urdu. I was brought up in Chennai so the language comes naturally."

And many other things come naturally too — like her music, her sense of rhythm and her great looks!

Mismatched romance

For film fans there’s something new to look forward to every Saturday — the Star Bestsellers whose increasing viewership is bad news for Hindi films being aired at the same time.

Fat Chance on November 27 at 9.30 p.m. is the love story of Neil, and obese young man and slim Punjabi girl, Ritu, Neil’s mother Lucy is a good-natured, but eccentric and very protective of him. Also, food is a binding factor in their otherwise ordinary lives.

The relationship is scoffed at by friends as it seems strange a lovely girl like Ritu should be in love with a fat man like Neil. They both keep trying to deal with their physical differences in their own worlds, where everybody holds an opinion about them.

Neil tries to lose weight while Ritu wants to make a point by defying the standards by which people judge their relationship. Ironically this leads to a conflict between the two lovers.

Fat Chance directed by Parvati Balagoplan is a sensitive love story with a difference — which will keep you thoroughly engrossed.

Storm in the Hidden Falls

The myths associated with the Tsangpo gorge in Tibet have tantalised explorers since the 19th century. And the Hidden Falls at the centre of this Tsangpo — which flows down to Assam and becomes River Brahmaputra — have never been explored since 1924.

In 1998 Ken Storm and his team of explorers made their way to this magical land and have come back with a stunning film for the National Geographic Channel to be telecast on December 14.

For Storm exploring the region of Tsangpo gorge was a "Pilgrimage" referring to the Tibetan belief where exploration is considered a sublime journey. And that is exactly what the viewers will experience while watching this fascinating journey.

Cricket on the mind

This is manna from the heavens for cricket buffs. Star Sports half hour weekly show Cricket Up Close hosted by Harsha Bhogle is a panel discussion on the most crucial aspects of the game.

The panelist include notables like Bishen Singh Bedi, Venkataraghavan, Arun Lal, Khalid Ansari, Anshuman Gaekwad and Krish Srikant.

The issues being discussed here are fitness, lack of killer instinct of the Indian cricket team, disadvantages of commercialisation and the fading charm of Test matches.

The programme airing every Thursday on Star Sports will continue through much of the coming international cricket season. And there’s no doubt this one’s going to be a big hit.

— Mukesh Khosla