In The First Flush

It's not exactly Las Vegas, but it's not Ludhiana either. So what's Teen Patti doing here? The card game from the subcontinent has travelled to LA's Radisson Crystal Park Hotel and Casino. It's the only place in the US to offer the game, or so James Blackburn proudly proclaims. The man who says he's pioneered Teen Patti in the US, picked it up some years ago at a casino he co-owned in Kathmandu. "I knew how popular it was," he declares, "but no one had targeted that segment of the US market." So Radisson has five tables devoted to Teen Patti as Blackburn doles out deals to lure gamblers to the game. Next stop, he hopes: Donald Trump's Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City and Foxwood Casino, Connecticut. But here is the trump card: Blackburn has filed for a US patent for Teen Patti. So first they wanted our neem, then they went after haldi (turmeric), now taash!!

Song of Songs

For most singers, a number means a song. Not for Anup Jalota. Last year he used up epic quantities of tape for a 20-cassette version of the Ramayan. This year, it's 25 cassettes of the Bhagwad Gita. And if you're worried about his vocal cords, forget it -- he's eyeing the Vedas. Says the chubby performer: "This is a legacy to be passed from generation to generation." Not generations of Indians alone, he hopes -- the Bhagwad Gita, like the Ramayan, will be translated into English, Japanese, French and Russian. "I hope I'll be remembered for these," he says. Memories and the record books ... irresistible!

Master Mind

It's not a luxury that many Indian sportspersons have -- to say their toughest competition is right here at home. Lucky Pravin Thipsay. Awarded the grandmaster norm just this week by the World Chess Federation, Thipsay is busy savouring his singular success. Kasparov ... yes, he wants to play him. But the big move, he says with touching pride, would be playing Viswanathan Anand. A chess fanatic since the age of 12, Thipsay was introduced to the game by his father and honed his skills against his siblings and numerous relatives. Looks like they made great coaches. Now having graduated to the big league, he observes: "In other sports, India suffers from a handicap, but in chess we are the best. We have the brains and the talent. I am confident we can produce more and more grandmasters in the future.'' He's our third, and we're still counting.

The Chosen One

There are film roles and there are film roles, and then there are the special roles. That's what playing Mother Teresa means to actress Debashree Roy. Says the lucky lady: "Mother had great affection for me and I'm glad to accept the offer." Committing India's favourite icon to celluloid memory is award-winning Calcutta director Raja Mitra. "It is not important whether or not Debashree resembles the Mother," he avers, dismissing the contrast between the glamorous artiste and a bent and wrinkled woman in a cheap cotton sari. "Her personality, uncorrupted expression and dignified carriage fit Mother's image." High praise, and well-deserved. Over the years Roy has graced a wide gamut of roles, though she is best remembered for her performances in 36 Chowringhee Lane and the national-award-winning Bengali film, Unishe April. It's experience that should come in handy, for as Roy admits, "This is the first time I'll be playing someone I've seen." Someone we've seen too. That's the challenge. 

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