Sunday, March 22, 2009

the 54th Filmfare Awards 2009:


Here's the list of Winners at the 54th Filmfare Awards 2009:
  • Best Film - Jodha Akbar
  • Best Director - Ashutosh Gowarikar (Jodha Akbar)
  • Best Actor - Hritik Roshan - (Jodha Akbar)
  • Best Actress - Priyanka Chopra - Best Actress (Fashion)
  • Lifetime Achievement Award - Om Puri & Bhanu Athaiya
  • Best Music Director - AR Rahman (Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na)
  • Best Story - Abhishek Kapoor (Rock On)
  • Best Supporting Actor - Arjun Rampal (Rock On)
  • Best Supporting Actress - Kangna Ranaut (Fashion)
  • Best Playback Singer (Male) - Sukhwinder Singh (Haule Haule - Rab Ne Bana De Jodi)
  • Best Playback Singer (Female) - Shreya Ghoshal (Singh is Kinng)
  • Best Debut (Male) - Farhan Akhtar (Rock On) & Imraan Khan (Jaane Tu)
  • Best Debut (Female) - Asin (Ghajini)
  • RD Burman Upcoming Talent - Benny Dayal (Ghajini)
  • Best Costumes - Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!
  • Best Background Score - AR Rahman (Jodha Akbar)
  • Best Cinematography - Jason West (Rock On!)
  • Best Editing - Amit Pawar (Mumbai Meri Jaan)
  • Best Coreography - Longinus (Jaane Tu)
  • Best Lyricist - Javed Akhtar (Jashn-e-Bahara, Jodha Akbar)
  • Best Sound Design - Baylon Fonseca & Vinod Subramanyam (Rock On)
  • Best Visual Effects - John Deitz (Love Story 2050)
  • Best Action - Peter Heinn (Ghajini)
PR to release first list on March 22 Staff Reporter

BALLAPADU (Krishna district): The Praja Rajyam is all set to release its first list of candidates who will enter the fray in general elections at Hyderabad on March 22.

Praja Rajyam president K. Chiranjeevi told a press conference here on Thursday, before setting out on the final day of his road shows in Krishna district, that the party would announce the names of about 100 to150 candidates. The list of remaining candidates would be announced at a later date.

In response to a question, he made clear that Buragadda Vedavyas, the sitting MLA of the now abolished Malleswaram constituency who switched loyalties from the Congress, would enter the fray, but did not mention the name of the constituency. The announcement is being widely seen as endorsement of Mr. Vedavyas’ candidature from Machilipatnam Assembly constituency. Mr. Chiranjeevi also reiterated that Raavi Venkateswara Rao would be fielded from Gudivada. He said the party had done a comprehensive study of the candidates aspiring to contest taking various factors into consideration. Selecting a candidate was a Herculean task for the Praja Rajyam, as the party had to look into various aspects and also ensure that its ideology of social justice was met.

PR, BSP to share meeting ground

Dasari and satires

Political satires should be taken in a lighter vein. At least, movie director Dasari Narayana Rao feels so. After participating in actor Sobhan Babu’s first death anniversary in Rajahmundry, he said that his flick, ‘Mestry’, was packed with several pot-shots. Oft-repeated words of former Prime Minister P.V. Nrasimha Rao – ‘Law will take its own course’ and NTR’s dialogue ‘What do I have except ash’ found place in the movie.



PR, BSP to share meeting ground Special Correspondent

Army authorities refuse to allow PR meeting at Bison Polo Grounds citing some exercises

Temporary licences issued to both parties to secure the Parade Grounds from March 20 to 24


HYDERABAD: Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam which is gearing up for a massive show of strength with its public meeting at the Parade Grounds tomorrow almost did not happen.

The Defence Estates Office had earlier given permission to hold the meeting at the Bison Polo Grounds as the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had booked the Parade Grounds from March 20 to 24.

However, Army authorities refused to allow the meeting citing some exercises even after permission was granted by the DEO.

Alarmed PR men confabulated with the BSP activists and also the DEO, S. Balakrishna, where it was decided to “share” the Parade Grounds venue since Mayawati’s meeting was on March 23.

Accordingly, the DEO re-issued the temporary licences to both parties on Friday night allowing PR to secure the ground on March 20 and March 21 while BSP would have the venue from March 22 to March 24.

“We did not want to discriminate between both the parties and arrived at a mutually acceptable formula,” said Mr. Balakrishna, declining to elaborate further.

Praja Rajyam emerges as a third force

Praja Rajyam emerges as a third force Ramesh Susarla
Janga Krishna Murthy dropped from Gurazala, M. Hanumantha Rao denied ticket from Mangalagiri


GUNTUR: Changed caste compositions among voters in Assembly constituencies after the delimitation and the emergence of a third force in the form of Praja Rajyam have made the political scenario challenging for the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party in the upcoming elections.

The fortunes of several MPs and MLAs of the Congress in the district are bound to alter as Tenali Lok Sabha, Kuchinapudi and Duggirala Assembly constituencies have been scrapped.

Reserving the Bapatla Lok Sabha constituency, Prattipadu and Vemuru for Scheduled Castes also impacted the political permutations.

Mangalagiri, Tenali and Ponnur Assembly segments have come into Guntur Lok Sabha constituency, while Chilakaluripet, Sattenapalle and Pedakurapadu (formerly in Guntur) have gone to Narsaraopet Lok Sabha constituency.

The Congress registered a landslide victory winning 18 out of the 19 Assembly constituencies in the district in 2004 elections, while the TDP made it only in Ponnur seat.

The Congress swept all the four Lok Sabha seats. The Congress high command cleared the air re-nominating Rayapati Sambasiva Rao from Guntur Lok Sabha seat and transferred NTR’s daughter and Union Minister Daggubati Purandeswari from Bapatla to Visakhapatnam. Vallabhaneni Balashourie has been given the Narasaraopet Lok Sabha seat, as Tenali Lok Sabha constituency was scrapped. Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy was shifted from Narasaraopet to Nellore.

Seat abolished

Gudibandi Venkata Reddy was dropped as his Duggirala Assembly seat was abolished. The Congress nominated Chebrolu Narendranath from Vinukonda dropping the sitting legislator Makkena Mallikarjuna Rao, giving rise to serious bickering within the party.

Same is the case with Janga Krishna Murthy, who was dropped in Gurazala Assembly seat, from where Alla Venkateswara Rao was fielded. Repalle MLA Devineni Mallikarjuna Rao too was dumped to accommodate Minister M.V. Ramana Rao, while another Minister M. Hanumantha Rao was denied ticket from Mangalagiri.

Minister for Transport Kanna Lakshminarayana, who represented Pedakurapadu for four consecutive terms, has shifted base to Guntur (West), now represented by Tadisetty Venkata Rao, causing a heartburn to the Rayapatis and the sitting MLA’s camp.

Political veteran Kodela Sivaprasada Rao of the TDP, who represented Narasaropet Assembly constituency for five times in a row, may fight the sitting legislator and Civil Supplies Minister Kasu Krishna Reddy once again. Makineni Pedrathaiah, another five-time winner to the Assembly, is seeking TDP ticket from Guntur Lok Sabha constituency.

He would stoke rebellion, if the party doesn’t field him. Alapati Rajendra Prasad of the TDP, whose Vemur constituency is reserved for SCs, is pitching himself to contest from Tenali Assembly seat.

Unfulfilled promises

Spiralling prices, alleged mismanagement of fertilizer supply, unfulfilled promises to chilli farmers may work against the ruling party, while its leaders are harping on satisfied pensioners, Arogyasri beneficiaries, 108 service, Indiramma housing clubbed with ‘Pavala Vaddi’ work in its favour.

Redeem Telugu pride, NTR Jr. tells people

Redeem Telugu pride, NTR Jr. tells people Staff Reporter

Kakinada: Junior NTR called upon the people to redeem Telugu pride by bringing TDP to power in the coming general elections. The TDP’s victory would also spell the end of misrule of Congress which did nothing except filling its coffers.

Speaking at a roadshow at Sarpavaram Junction in Kakinada on Friday, Mr. NTR said TDP was the best bet for people who wanted welfare and good governance and exhorted them to teach a lesson to the ruling dispensation which never cared for their well-being. Unlike the Congress, TDP was committed to deliver its promises and people should give it a chance to do that.

The Congress party has failed on all fronts and no other party offered a credible alternative to it, which strengthens the case to elect TDP, he asserted and suggested to people to see the ground realities while casting their votes.

Chiru(s) galore

Chiranjeevi alleges Naidu-YSR ‘match-fixing’ Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Alleging ‘match-fixing’ between Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and Opposition Leader N. Chandrababu Naidu, Praja Rajyam president K. Chiranjeevi on Saturday said they were only hoodwinking people to keep power between themselves.

Addressing a mammoth ‘Praja Vijaya Bheri’ rally at the Parade Grounds here, he said the two leaders who were criticising each other all day, became good friends by night. “And the only thing they have in common was ‘corruption’, although of different magnitudes. After all, they are from the same school [Congress],” he said.



Chiru(s) galore

PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU

drawing attention: Masks of Praja Rajyam president K. Chiranjeevi being used as campaign material at ’Praja Vijaya Bheri’ public meeting in the city on Saturday.



Friday, March 20, 2009

Praja Rajyam wants bogus voters removed Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: The Praja Rajyam has urged the Election Commission to take steps to weed out over 30 lakh bogus voters enrolled into the voters’ lists before the filing of nominations commences on March 23.

The PR submitted ‘proof’ of 70,000 bogus votes enrolled in different constituencies based on the verification conducted by its cadre at the polling station level. As the time was short, the Commission could decentralise the process empowering the returning officers to check the lists and remove the bogus names.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, PR general secretary Parakala Prabhakar urged the Commission to ensure that the bogus voters were removed and the election conducted in a free and fair mannerHe said the PRP’s promise to provide gas cylinder for Rs. 100 and its promise of supplying essentials for Rs. 100 were much better schemes than the cash transfer scheme promised by the Telugu Desam.

PR’s hunt for symbol continues Special Correspondent

Negotiations on with parties in Mizoram, Goa, Puducherry and Kerala: Chiru


BANTUMILLI (KRISHNA DIST.): Talks are on with leaders of regional parties in Mizoram, Goa, Puducherry and Kerala for getting a “temporary common symbol” for the Praja Rajyam (PR), said its president K. Chiranjeevi here on Wednesday, even as he maintained that the party would approach the Supreme Court again.

Addressing a press conference before setting out on the second day of his road shows in Krishna district, Mr. Chiranjeevi said that it was wrongly reported in a section of the media that the PR was negotiating with parties in Sikkim for the symbol.

He said the PR had withdrawn its petition on common symbol from the High Court, but would approach the Supreme Court.

Asked if the ground was being prepared for Allu Aravind to contest from Machilipatnam Lok Sabha constituency, Mr. Chiranjeevi said no decision had been taken on whether or not Mr. Aravind would contest in the elections. Mr. Aravind’s services were actually needed to run the party organisation, but if the party decided that he should contest, then Machilipatnam would be a “good place”, he said.

‘Small boy’

About the campaign of NTR Jr., Mr. Chiranjeevi said he had nothing to say except that NTR Jr. was a “small boy” and that the two campaigns could not be compared.

Mr. Chiranjeevi claimed that he was not going before the people as an actor.

Another feather in his cap
Making a film is no cakewalk, says Naseeruddin Shah. But anyway, Bollywood doesn’t attract him anymore.

Columns

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BLAST FROM THE PAST
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Dev Anand, Vijay Anand Chetan Anand, Waheeda Rehman
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Gandhinagar Gossip

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Avanobbanidda Godse by Manohara Malagaonkar, translated by Ravi Belagere, Bhavana Prakashana, Rs. 250

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Swatantrya Samarada Lavanigalu, ballads on the freedom struggle, by N. Vishakantha Rao, Karnataka Janapada Parishath, Bangalore, Rs. 10.

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Personality

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Music

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Clarity and creativity
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Plays this weekend
Antharanga, an amateur theatre group is organising a three-day Yugadi theatre festival at Seva Sadana, Malleswaram from March 21 to 23.

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Columns

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Issues

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Happenings

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March 21, 6 p.m.

Mohan Santhanam.

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March 20, 6.30 p.m.

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Music

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At his creative best
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Mellifluous rendition
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All sound and fury
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Stress on sahitya
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Anniversary fete
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Religion

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Wide selection of kritis
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Stamp of class
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Theatre

Imaginative acts of substance
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Arts & Crafts

Signature strokes
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Tv Serials

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Sunday, March 8, 2009

The 10th spot has been bagged by the action actors Vishal.

Vishal No.10!

The 9th spot has been bagged by the son-in-law of Rajini, Dhanush.

Dhanush No.9!

The 8th spot has been bagged by the newly married actor Suriya.

Suriya No.8!

The 7th spot has been bagged by Suriya’s brother Karthi, for his splendid performance in his debut movie.

Karthi No.7!

The 6th spot has been bagged by the Uzhaga Nayagan, Kamal Hasan.

Kamal Hasan No.6!

The 5th spot has been bagged by the Anniyan, Vikram.

Vikram No.5!

The 4th spot has been bagged by the actor who has slipped sown this year, Vijay.

Vijay No.4!

The 3rd spot has been bagged by Sathyaraj for his splendid performace in Periyar and Onbadu Rubai Notu.

Sathyaraj!

The 2nd spot has been bagged by the comeback hero, the Ultimate Star, Ajith Kumar.

Ajith Kumar No.2!

The top place has been having no change since this man has started acting. Each and every movie that he has been through is not only hit, but also super-hit. For his splendid perfromance in Sivaji, the actor at the top spot is SuperStar, Rajini Kanth.

Rajini Kanth No.1!

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Tunes of friendship from hearts


Tunes of friendship

MANJARI SINHA Tunes of friendship

The Friendship Concert struck all the right notes and a concert by debutants held promise.



IN HARMONY Violinist Anupriya Deotale and Ameer Khusro (below) during the "Friendship Concert" in New Delhi . PHOTOS: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Ameer Khusro Centre for Music jointly organised a Friendship Concert at the Kamani Auditorium recently.

It was supposed to be a trio of musicians from Pakistan, Canada and India with vocal and instrumental music but Akbar Ali, the vocalist from Pakistan, could not make it. Hence, Anupriya Deotale from India and Anwar Khurshid from Canada presented an evening of instrumental music on violin and sitar.

Anupriya was initiated in to classical music by P.L. Dandwate. She learnt violin later under S.L. Kandara and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and is presently training under Pandit Ram Narayan. Anwar Khurshid, the director of Sitar Institute, Toronto, on the other hand, started his vocal training under Arif Jaffery and performed from Radio Peshawar before switching over to sitar under Nasiruddin Khan. He also learnt tabla from Tufail Khan. Anwar is presently training under Ustad Shahid Parwez.

Both Anupriya and Anwar took their solo turns before concluding the Friendship Concert with a jugalbandi (duet) on violin and sitar .


Impressive

Anupriya opened the concert with raga Jhinjhoti, playing aalap, a slow composition in Jhap tala followed by two compositions in medium and fast tempo Teen tala. She impressed with her bowing technique, especially during the gamak ang taans. She also showed a good command over sur and laya which never missed its mark. Gyan Singh accompanied her on the tabla but most of the time his repartees had nothing to do with what Anupriya played on violin except for the tisra gati ka kaam.

Anwar Khurshid’s raga Desh on the sitar came as the second choice after Anupriya’s main raga Jhinjhoti. One could notice the rounded tonal quality of his guru Shahid Parvez’s sitar in his tuneful rendering of the melodious raga. The brief introductory aalap was followed by the masitkhani and razakhani gat compositions set to Teen tala. Anwar played the raga with repose, totally devoid of artifice or gimmicks, but the sense of spontaneity was missing and it sounded like a lesson learnt by heart. Jitendra Kumar Swain gave him commendable support on the tabla. The concert concluded with a jugalbandi in raga Kirwani where Anupriya overshadowed the guest artiste.

Debut concert

Amaltas auditorium at New Delhi’s India Habitat Centre recently saw the debut concert by the gifted disciples of Shubha Mudgal and Aneesh Pradhan. Called ‘Arambh’, the evening opened with the vocal recital of Shantanu Herelekar, a young disciple of Shubha, who presented raga Bihag with full confidence. Abhimanyu, the disciple of Pradhan, who also accompanied Shantanu, gave a tabla solo performance in Teen tala. The gifted adolescents Shantanu and Abhimanyu are siblings and are pursuing their chosen art forms with dedication.

Shweta Deshpande, who gave a vocal recital as the concluding performer, comes from a music-loving family of Nanded. She has been learning from Shubha for the past four years. Shweta has an open aakar and maintains a consistent tunefulness. She opened with the timely raga Yaman and gave it an orderly and artistic treatment during the slow Ek tala and madhya Teen tala compositions.

She concluded her vocal recital with a lilting Dadra in Pilu. Vinay Mishra on harmonium and Sandesh Raje on tabla gave her the most desired support.

hyderabad movies

All they want is love
‘18-20 Love Story’ is not a regular boy-meets-girl story, the makers promise.

Interview

Character wise
Nandi award for best supporting role couldn’t have come at a better time for Ahuti Prasad.
Cinema

Marquee Moves

The names now immortalised by Sholay become the title of a new film. To be released in the first half of March, Jai and Veeru stars Fardeen Khan and Kunal Khemu, directed by Puneet Sira. Jai and Veeru are partners in crime ...

Music

Fine show of talent
Young artistes, with their refreshing performances, were a delight to watch.


Musical bonanza
Music of the masters kept the audience occupied.
Soulful duet
The small hall made the musical experience more pleasurable.
A day-long Sunday treat
‘Teen Prahar’ at Ravindra Bharathi was a good concept.
Kindling the memory of Thyagaraja
The 10-day music fest was an aural treat for the rasikas.
Dance

The legacy continues, in all its splendour
The Kharavela National Cultural Festival was a connoisseur’s delight with diverse dance forms.
Brilliant performances
The Deccan Dance Festival brought accomplished dancers to Hyderabad.
Events

A unique feat
Vizag students enthrall with their non-stop dance concert.
Grand golden jubilee
Cultural events marked the celebrations.
Thyagaraja remembered
Many prominent artistes performed at Potti Sreeramulu University.

Chennai and Tamil Nadu films news

Sarath’s Super Six
As ‘1977’ gets ready for release, actor Sarath Kumar talks about his distinct look in the film.


The Sultana of melody
Her matchless voice has entranced Hindustani music lovers for over four decades, and still does. Meet Begum Parween Sultana…
Interview

Vintage memories
Yesteryear heroine Ambika goes into flashback mode.
Columns

CHAT CORNER
‘Basic knowledge of music helps rasikas’

My mother used to chant slokas in different ragas. That was my first exposure to music.


Interview

Revisiting a Sivaji classic on stage
Y.Gee. Mahendra will provide a nostalgic fiesta with his revival of Sivaji Nataka Mandram’s much-acclaimed theatre venture, ‘Vietnam Veedu.’
Letters To The Editor


Columns

SCENESTEALERS
The stage is his world
Theatre has the capacity to address everyday concerns effectively, according to director-actor-producer K.P. Pravin.
My favourite raga

I don’t wish to describe, rather prescribe the mood evoked by each of the ragas I have selected because the same music will have an absolutely different effect on each individual.”


Forthcoming Events

In the City

Cinema

German film on DVD
The latest directorial venture of well-known German film maker Fatih Akin, ‘The Edge Of Heaven’, is now available on DVD. The world-renowned filmmaker of ‘Head-On’ fame, best known for making films belonging to the genre ...
Film Review

Humour is its big plus - LAADAM
Cast: Aravindhan, Charmi, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Jaya Prakash, Dheeraj Kher.

Storyline: An MCA graduate offers a gangster gratuitous advice and pays the price for it.

Bottomline: Watchable for its unusual ...


A drive you won’t mind - Tha Na 07 Ah La 4777
Storyline: When a bitter taxi-driver picks up a spoilt rich kid, their lives change for worse.

Bottomline: Taxi Number 9211 minus the fun.

There’s always something that’s lost in translation. GV Films ...


Glimpses of a Delhi without soul - Delhi-6
Storyline: A simple love story of a New York-returned Old Delhi guy, who takes time saying those three crucial words to his lady love

Bottomline: Keep the barometer of expectations low.

Yesterday never dies. It ...

Personality

He painted with his lens
Adi Irani is perhaps India’s only cinematographer to have the rare distinction of working in both silent films and the talkies.


Penchant for dance drama
Nattuvanar Krishnakumari Narendran is known for her spectacular dance productions, the highlight of which is the stage setting.
Prescription for happiness
There is no getting round cause-effect in life — that sums up Swami Parthasarathy’s philosophy.
Voice rich and powerful
Vedanta Bhagavatar could not only traverse to the top panchama but quite incredibly stay there for an appreciable time.
Music

Devotion-filled rendition
Akshay Padmanabhan has a supple voice and with sustained effort, he is bound to go places.
Voice happily obeys manodharma
Sruti-perfect, Anuradha Suresh Krishnamurthy wove melodious patterns in her concert for Hamsadhwani.
Dance

A cultural platform
More and more places across the State are now holding Natyanjali.
Arts & Crafts

Myriad hues, intricate designs
Some of the best artisans present their creations at the Vishwakarma exhibition on till March 3.

Sonia show may paralyse traffic

Sonia show may paralyse traffic
5 lakh people expected for Congress meet at Parade Grounds
PHOTO: NAGARA GOPAL.

Show must go on: A worker quenches thirst as his colleagues put up barricades at Parade Grounds for Sonia Gandhi’s public meeting on Saturday. -

HYDERABAD: Plan in advance if you want to go to Secunderabad or Necklace road or other areas in their vicinity on Saturday afternoon for personal work or shopping.

With over five lakh people or more expected to attend the meeting being organised by the Congress at the Parade Grounds in Secunderabad, all roads leading to the meeting venue would be crowded from the morning. Though the UPA chairperson would fly in by 5 p.m. and address the gathering after an hour, trunk routes leading to the meeting’s venue from all parts of the city would witness choc-a-bloc traffic.

Vehicles galore

More than 3,000 RTC buses and over 10,000 cars and light commercial vehicles will ferry lakhs of people from Medak, Ranga Reddy, Warangal, Nalgonda, Karimnagar, Adilabad and Nizamabad districts surrounding the city. Reaching workplaces in the morning would not be difficult but the return journey home - especially for those required to pass through Secunderabad’s central parts - would be a tough task.

“I will not say people should not come onto the roads but appeal to them to plan their journey in advance,” Traffic Police Additional Commissioner, N.V. Surendra Babu, said at a press conference.

Helpline

Mr. Babu appealed to commuters to cooperate with the traffic policemen. “Please don’t pick up arguments with the traffic policemen suggesting diversions as it would not be possible for them to explain personally to every commuter what prompted them to divert vehicles,” he said. In case of traffic jam or related emergency, people can call on police helpline 100 or 1073.

Meanwhile, the programme schedule of Sonia Gandhi has been revised. She will now arrive here at 5.05 p.m., unveil the statue of Indira Gandhi at Necklace Road at 5.30 p.m. and proceed to the public meeting at 5.50 p.m. She will leave for New Delhi at 6.55 p.m.