Celebrity stays clear of controversial issues on Twitter; Actor denies reports, states he is still single

 

Success knows no age.

That aptly applies to Aftab Shivdasani.

Aftab was just 14 months old when he had his first brush with success.He featured in a Television commercial that instantly hit the mark. Then more commercials followed, thereby paving his way into Bollywood as a child artiste at age seven.

Aftab was still in college when he was offered a lead role in Ram Gopal Verma’s “Mast.” Since then he has acted in over 50 films---some of which topped the box office. Whether he is playing the fresh faced college boy in pursuit of his big screen dream partner Urmilla in “Mast,” the newspaper editor with a dark side in “Kasoor” or the guy who is happy-go-lucky in “Love,” he infuses life into every character.

His infectious smile, dapper attire and magnetic personality makes his female fans swoon. Soon after returning from his film shoot in Sweden, this writer caught up with Aftab. Directed by Vikram Bhatt, the film is a sequel to “1920,” and is expected to go on the floors in May.

Aftab has not received any formal training in acting. Says the actor: “I feel very comfortable in front of the camera. Acting is something no one can teach you. Either you have it in you or you don’t.”

Responding to a question on social media, Aftab said: “I am very much into social media, including Twitter as I use it as a medium to connect with my fans, and this has given me a huge boost. They no longer have to wait to read about me in the newspapers or magazines.”

Not stopping at that, he went on to add: “Some of my fans who wish to pursue acting seek advice from me. It helps me to strengthen the bonds with my fans and it is a barometer for me to ascertain what my fans think about me and my films.”

Aftab says: "the adulation he receivevs from his fans is his greatest award."

He continued: “I don’t discuss any controversial issues on the social media. Moreover, I don’t Tweet about political issues. I stay clear of them. I believe in using social media in a constructive way.”

Hailing from an affluent family, Aftab is an ardent fan of cricket and is considered the most dependable player among the Bollywood celebrities. Asked to comment on some of his upcoming films, Aftab remained tight-lipped in line with the agreement.

Aftab went on to say that he floated his own film production company, and that it has already produced one film under its banner.Brimming with confidence, he said: “I always wanted to have my own production company and I am glad that my plans finally came to fruition.”

Aftab’s illustrious acting career is studded with many awards. Commenting on awards, he said: “To be honest, the adulation I receive from my fans is my greatest award. This is something I cannot express in words, and I very grateful to all my fans.”

Aftab noted that the film “Shukriya” is very close to his heart. Elaborating further, he said: “I thoroughly enjoyed playing my character in that film. I could relate to my character and it had many shades. Honestly, every scene came very spontaneously and that made it a memorable experience.”

Quashing reports that linked him to a certain top actress, Aftab said he was single, and noted that he had no immediate plans to tie the knot as reported in a certain section of the press. “These are rumours and I have no clue from where they originated,” Aftab noted with a trace of disappointment in his voice.

Following in the footsteps of other Bollywood celebrities, Aftab is planning to start a charity project, but remained guarded about the details.On a parting note, Aftab said: “Hard work, dedication and discipline are key ingredients to achieving success. If you focus on these three aspects, then you will go far in life.”

         Denis (C) cutting the ceremonial cake during his felicitation ceremony

Canadian diplomat signs off his mission on a high note; Denis helped increase business visibility

A diligent and approachable person.

That’s how many in the diplomatic circles described Denis Thibault.

Denis served as Canadian ambassador to the Persian Gulf. His ability to successfully showcase Canadian businesses in the Gulf, and resolve issues facing local Canadian community saw him ending his tenure on a high note.

I first met Denis at an event hosted by the Canadian Business Council. What impressed me about Denis was his knack in dealing with the press, besides providing excellent cooperation to journalists whenever needed.

This made him popular among the journalist fraternity, and reporters preferred to get the sound bytes directly from him rather than the communications specialists. He offered level playing field to all the newspapers---both English and Arabic. 

Denis didn’t dilly dally on media issues that needed immediate redressal. Whenever he promised something, he delivered on it. He encouraged members of the visiting trade delegations to engage with the press. Denis even went around at embassy events to ensure that journalists had enough material.

 Journalists often talked about his simplicity, and drew a parallel to some of the snooty and swollen headed diplomats. Diplomats of certain embassies were like obnoxious weeds. Such was their decorum that it was glaringly obvious that they were political appointees.

Denis stresses a point during an interview with this writer in a file photo.

The diplomat’s tenure at the embassy saw an increase in visibility of Canadian events in the media, and this sharply reflected in his strong media relations skills.

I also observed that the number of visiting delegations increased, particularly in the oil and petrochemical sector. This was largely due to the strenuous efforts of Denis given the significance of the sector. Denis was always at hand be it the trade show, press conference or other events.

He was also well thought of by the Canadian delegations that visited the Gulf. Members of many delegations were often impressed with his strong local contacts that bode well for them.

 “Thibault is a real blessing for the Canadian business community in the Gulf,” a representative of the Alberta oil delegation once told me. He was all praise for Denis for the meetings, and the networking events that the ambassador organized for the delegation.

Denis was instrumental in taking the initiative in restarting the Terry Fox run that was dormant for a few years.  Denis aggressively promoted the Terry Fox event and made it a resounding success. He also exerted a lot of efforts to promote Canada as top educational destination. I personally saw him interacting with students at educational expos, and walking them through various programs.

During the felicitation ceremony at the end of his tenure, the embassy staff, and the Canadian Business Council paid glowing tributes to him, in recognition of his hard work and dedication to the embassy.

Wherever Denis takes his next charge, I am positive he is bound to succeed because of his industrious nature.

              

                         "Eating meat, milk products, and eggs is destroying the planet"

Celebrity uses social media to highlight animal cruelty; Anchor, model Diya promotes vegetarianism

Francis Cardoso

Amusing persona, extempore speech, sharp memory.

These are some of the qualities that drive Diya Sharma’s success as an anchor/presenter. From fashion shows to concerts to live shows to corporate events, Diya handles them with equal fluency.

Apart from being a much-sought after anchor, she is also an established commercial model and an actress. Her long list of reputable clients underscores her class and versatility.

She counts Baskin Robbins, Vodafone, The Body Shop and Volkswagen among some of her clients. Her popularity is not just confined to India as she has also performed in many countries, including: Singapore, Hong Kong, the US, UK, Dubai, Sri Lanka and Nepal, among others.  

Diya first made news splash when she scooped the Ponds Women of the Future title and that kick started her career. She is also a noted animal rights activist and is promoting vegetarianism in India.

She is increasingly using social media to highlight cruelty to animals and has managed to draw the attention of political bigwigs through a sustained campaign.

Diya has taken up cudgels against some powerful business establishments for meteing out cruelty to animals. She recently made her debut in a Bollywood film that will hit the street in the coming months.

.
Diya in an interview with this writer spoke about a variety of issues, including social media, her acting career, future plans and animal cruelty, among others.

Question: Can you talk about your role in championing the rights of animals?
Answer: I have been involved in protecting rights of animals for eight years now. I am also promoting vegetarianism in India. It takes a small person to beat a defenseless animal and an even smaller person to eat one.

If you’re consuming meat, milk products, and eggs, you are paying others to commit acts so cruel that if committed against dogs or cats, they would warrant felony cruelty charges in most US states. You can’t eat meat and call yourself an environmentalist.

Eating meat, milk products, and eggs is destroying the planet. The University of Chicago reports that going vegan is 50 percent more effective than switching to a hybrid car in reducing greenhouse emissions. In addition, a recent United Nations report concluded that a global shift toward a vegan diet is essential to combating the worst effects of climate change.

I have also launched a crusade against some well-known businesses for ill-treating animals. The thing is that there are many organizations in India which claim to be fighting for animal rights but unfortunately they are only paying a lip service.

                                         Social media is like a gold mine for me:Diya

Q: Which is the most memorable event you have hosted so far?
A: The most memorable and the biggest event I have ever hosted is undoubtedly the Common Wealth Games in Delhi in 2010. The atmosphere was electrifying and audience was amazing.

Among my other notable shows include World Cup Cricket and the IPL 2011. In addition, I have hosted shows in numerous countries, including Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, US, Nepal, UK and Sri Lanka, among others.

Q: How do you counter negative publicity?
A: Fortunately for me, I haven’t received any bad press so far. Personally, I feel any publicity is good publicity. In this dazzling digital age, it is important to set the record straight. In short, you need to get your key messages out in a timely manner.

That is very, very important. If you don’t take timely steps in a crisis situation, things can spin out of control. So it is always important to keep the channels of communication open. Above all, be honest and apologize for your mistake in a tactful manner. Everyone makes mistakes but when you apologize, the sympathy factor comes into play. I have a manager who looks after all PR-related activities.  

Q: What are your future plans as an actress now that you have made your debut in Bollywood?
A: Acting has always been close to my heart and my grandfather played a key role in nurturing my talent. I began my acting career as a child artiste. Additionally, I have acted in many Television serials.

I felt time was ripe now to launch myself on the big screen. I am doing a film with Rajiv Khandelwal. This is my maiden foray into Bollywood, and if things click for me, then I would concentrate on my film career.

Q: How is social media scene shaping up in India?
A: Social media has taken off big time in India. According to recent reports, a staggering 33 million people in India are currently using various social media platforms and in that we have 45,000 new users every single day. It is also gaining ground among school children. As far as children are concerned, it’s like a double-edged sword.

I mean children’s ability to write is being hampered because they are using short forms while communicating and this impacts their ability to write well. On the other hand, they are using it as a medium to acquire knowledge and keep abreast of what is going around the globe.

Q: You seem to be pretty active on Facebook, and often engage with your fans...in what way does this exercise help your cause?

A: Social media is like a gold mine for me. I post pictures of my shows on Facebook and other social networking sites. So this gives a clear sense to my fans and clients about my work. I also get valuable feedback from them and that is something I take seriously.

It enables me to discern what my fans like or don’t like about me. I received tremendous response from my fans after I posted some pictures of animal cruelty on Facebook. Many sent me supportive emails saying they want to be part of my campaign and that was a huge boost to our efforts.

Exploited, duped trucker slams brake on dicey job; driver plunges into deep financial Gulf

Narinder Thappa had big dreams.

The Nepali wanted to marry off his two younger sisters, and buy a two-bedroom apartment for himself. His father had retired as a factory worker.Being eldest of the brood of three, the 32-year-old was sandwiched between responsibilities.

Though Narinder was employed as a truck driver, he was struggling to financially support his family. Narinder always wanted to emulate the success of his friends who were drawing fat tax-free salaries in the Persian Gulf. But somehow the Gulf-dream kept eluding him like a mirage.

That, however, changed one day. A Gulf-returned friend informed him of an ongoing recruitment drive for a Gulf country, and gave him a few pointers on the selection process. Armed with the advice, Narinder descended on the office of the recruitment agent, and with that began the preparations.

Everything went off like clockwork for him. He successfully passed the interview, even as the recruitment agent informed him that his visa would be ready within a few weeks.

He then told Narinder that he would have to fork out CAN $ 2,500 as the recruitment fee.Narinder found himself in a quandary as how to raise that kind of money. Being the sole bread winner of the family, he had a measly $200 in savings.

Closing ranks behind him, his family managed to get a bank loan for him. All preparations were done for his journey to the cradle-to-grave welfare state.

Narinder finally bid a tearful farewell to his family, and boarded the flight with a heavy heart.Upon landing in the Gulf country, a feeling of joy blanketed him. He was ecstatic to see the glitzy cars, swanky malls and well-paved roads---a far cry from his home country.

Everything was going on fine until his supervisor informed him that he is being transferred to Iraq as the company had secured a fresh contract there. Narinder offered stiff resistance to the proposal, but was told in no uncertain terms that he would be sent back if he failed to comply. This was in stark violation of his work contract.

Narinder explored every possible channel to highlight his plight but failed in his efforts. With a huge debt to pay off, Narinder had little choice but to take up the dangerous assignment much to his chagrin. Once in Iraq, he was driving his truck near violence-torn Fallujah region when he came under heavy sniper fire.

Narinder managed to dodge the bullets, and drove to safety.Horrified by the ordeal, Narinder told his supervisor that he will not take the wheel again, and soon his supervisor allegedly began harassing him. 

Narinder stuck to his guns and with no solution in sight, he was repatriated last month.His family was devastated, but sympathized with him. He is now sinking in debt and each passing day is piling on his misery.

“This is like a death sentence to me, and my family. I don’t know what I am going to do now.” says crest-fallen Narinder.

Narinder’s is not an isolated case, there are hundreds of instances where gullible workers have been short-changed and forcibly sent to Iraq in violation of labour contracts. Many truckers in Iraq have been killed in sniper attacks or by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

Iraqi insurgents often ambush transport vehicles, and take the occupants hostage before demanding huge ransom to secure their release.

With oil prices booming, many Gulf countries are in the grip of construction and this has spawned a demand for foreign workers.There are millions of contract workers from the Subcontinent working in the Gulf in various sectors ranging from construction to oil to cleaning.

Many sell their properties to pay off recruitment fees. Though some Gulf countries have scrapped the sponsorship system, there is still a long way to go in improving the living conditions of the workers.

The most common grouse of the workers is contract violation, and abominable living conditions. Workers who protest are often deported, and with that their dreams are smashed to pieces.

Parliamentary Secretary Deepak Obhrai discusses democratic development with Mongolia

OTTAWA: Deepak Obhrai, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, recently visited several key partners in Asia to promote and expand Canada’s interests abroad.

Obhrai is seeking to nurture Canada`s bilateral relationship with Mongolia, a country that contributes to Canada`s prosperity and has publicly expressed its desire to emulate Canada. Following the Mongolian Prime Minister`s visit to Canada in September 2010, Canada developed a long-term engagement strategy and PS Obhrai’s highlights the breadth of the Canada-Mongolia relationship.

In particular, PS Obhrai discussed issues of economic and democratic development. In Japan, PS Obhrai discussed with his counterpart the progress on a range of common bilateral objectives, and strengthen the friendship and understanding between Canada and Japan.

Following his visit to Japan, PS Obhrai made a stop in the Philippines to discuss issues of good governance and economic development with his counterparts in the Filipino government. Moreover, his visit will coincide with the 35th anniversary of Canada-ASEAN relations, a group in which the Philippines is a member.

Furthermore, PS Obhrai will take this opportunity to raise the issue of human rights. Canada values its strong relationship with the Philippines and looks forward to further nurturing this relationship.

Above news release sent by Obhrai’s office

Cameron Hopkins initially refused to accept the honour saying he was only doing his job

TTC bus operator honoured for rendering timely aid to seriously hurt man; Cameron sets fine example for his co-workers

Francis Cardoso


6:30 p.m.

The traffic light turned green at an intersection.

I began striding down the road to catch an east-bound bus on my way home.

Little did I realize that destiny had something else in store for me.

I suddenly felt a heavy blow in my chest as I began spinning before landing in a partially-snow covered traffic island.

A Cadillac Escalade had struck me in what can be described as a hit-and-run case.

With serious head injuries, I lay in a pool of blood as dazed passersby halted in their tracks to take a stock of the situation. None stepped forward to check on my well-being.

A TTC bus operator, who was at the wheel, and saw the incident unfold, immediately rushed to my rescue. In a swift move, he offloaded the passengers, and took me inside his bus before nursing me.

He then called 911 before securing all the evidence at the scene. He stuffed my shattered wrist-watch and eyewear in my blood-soaked jacket pocket.

Such was the impact of the hit that my head began reeling. But I could recognize the familiar face of the operator, Cameron Hopkins, who was a regular on the route.

Unassuming and polite, Cameron and I often exchanged pleasantries on less busy hours. Cameron was sitting beside me assuring me that everything would be fine.

From there on, I lost consciousness only to wake up in the hospital to find two constables by my side. They began their probe in the right earnest.

As the news of the accident spread, worried friends and relatives thronged my bedside, and began comforting me.I knew I had cheated death. Simply put, it was a miracle, nothing short of it.    

I was finally discharged, but the pain was terrible and rendered me incapacitated for quite some time.

For me, TTC had assumed a new meaning. In my mind, I rebranded TTC as Takes Timely Care. I wanted to make the Toronto SUN shine on Cameron but by then the story had gone cold.

I then decided to get in touch with TTC. I shot an email to the customer service.

In my email, I explained the chain of events that transpired on that fateful day. I also thanked Cameron for providing me timely assistance. I got an acknowledgement from TTC saying they would look into the matter.

           Frost (R) speaks at the award ceremony while Cameron and Gigi look on.

I then began frantically looking for Cameron to thank him personally. However, my persistent efforts to find him drew blank. Upon enquiring, I was told that his term on my route had ended, and he was plying the bus on another route.

Then, one day, I got a call from Cameron’s supervisor saying that TTC had decided to honour him for his good deed. She then asked me if I would be able to do a presentation on the day of the felicitation.

I said I would be more than happy to do so. Several weeks passed and I didn’t hear back. Then, after several months, I got another call from the same supervisor saying that the ceremony had to be called off due to unavoidable circumstances.

She again renewed her invitation to me, and I delightfully accepted it. Then months passed and nothing happened. I began to wonder what was going on, and blamed the management for dilly dallying.

On a chilly afternoon, I was waiting for the bus, and as the bus pulled up at the stop, I saw the Cameron at the wheel.

I let out a yelp of joy. I shook hands with him, and identified myself. He remembered the incident and recalled some scenes. He was happy to see me back on my feet.

Then I asked him why the felicitation ceremony didn’t materialize. Cameron said he had declined to be part of the event for personal reasons.

Upon pressing him, Cameron said: “I just did what I am supposed to do, and I didn’t want to make a big deal about it.”

In response, I said: “I am not trying to glorify you, but only giving credit where it’s due. You have earned the honour, and you cannot turn away from it.”

As the conversation went on, I managed to drive home my key message.

Cameron after a brief pause, said: “If you feel strongly about my role in the incident, then I will speak to my supervisor, and see what she has to say.”

Finally the award ceremony was confirmed by Gigi Porteous, Assistant Superintendent at Eglington Division.

At the event, Cameron was presented an award by Gigi in the presence of Bill Frost, General Superintendent at Bus Transportation.

In his presentation, this writer recounted how Cameron had come to his rescue, and capped off his speech saying: “You drove into my heart with your noble action,” as a thunderous applause greeted him. 

More than a year on, the scars have not healed yet. I still see red at the traffic light, even when it’s green. I now embed with other road crossers, and ensure that all vehicles have come to a complete halt.

Note: The writer spoke to Cameron, and others to put together this article.