Narendra Modi stadium in Gujarat faces Oppn ire
Patel takes 6/38 as India bowl England out for 112
The renaming of the revamped Sardar Patel Stadium, popular as the Motera Stadium, in Ahmedabad to Narendra Modi stadium turned into a political slugfest, with the Opposition, especially the Congress, accusing the BJP of “insulting” Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The latter rebutted saying Congress president Sonia Gandhi and others never visited Patel’s statue — Statue of Unity — in Kevadia and are talking about insulting Patel. The BJP also listed names of institutions and tournaments named after the NehruGandhi family to hit back. President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the stadium on Wednesday.
Ahmedabad, Feb. 24: Axar Patel’s devastating six-wicket haul bundled England out for 112 before Rohit Sharma’s languid elegance shone through in an unbeaten half century that handed India the edge on the opening day of the daynight third Test here on Wednesday.
The combination of left-armer Patel and offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin exploited the turning Motera pitch at the newly-inaugurated Narendra Modi stadium to the full and England’s first innings folded in just 48.4 overs after the visitors opted to bat.
Patel (21.4-6-38-6) grabbed his second fivefor in his second Test while Ashwin (16-6-26-3) took three.
At stumps, India were
99 for 3 from 33 overs with Rohit batting on 57 off 82 balls. Ajinkya Rahane (1) was giving him company following skipper Virat Kohli’s dimissal in the second last over of the day.
Kohli was dismissed for 27 off 58 balls by leftarm spinner Jack Leach
(10-1-27-2).
India trailed by just 13 runs with seven first innings wickets in hand.
Before this, it was a nightmare that unfolded for England with the 47run stand for the third wicket being their best.
They lost their last six wickets in the second session. The last seven wickets yielded 38 runs.
This was after Ishant Sharma, only the second Indian fast bowler after Kapil Dev to play in 100 Tests, fittingly took India’s first wicket in the third over to open the floodgates for the hosts.
In reply to a below par score, India negotiated the opening spells of England seamers James Anderson and Stuart Broad. But Jofra Archer
(5-2-24-1) gave England the breakthrough in the
15th over with Gill, trying a pull shot from the off stump, top-edged for Zak Crawley.
In the late 1990s, when art curator Birad Rajaram Yagnik walked into the iconic Cinema Ghar at Banjara Hills for the first time, he was awed by the very structure. “I had displayed photographs shot by the famous film maker Bimal Roy. His daughter Aparajitha Sinha had commissioned the project. MF Hussain provided the place free of cost,” recalls Yagnik.
Like Yagnik, several art aficionados across Hyderabad were left speechless when they recently woke up to the news that Hussain’s unique museum was to be razed. There’s just a pile of rubble at the site now. “Cinema Ghar represented MF Hussain connect with Hyderabad. It was his way of celebrating the city in an era when hardly any art galleries existed,” says Yagnik, who is also an author.
Once a key landmark at the upmarket Road No 12, Banjara Hills, Cinema Ghar was inaugurated in 1999 by Bollywood actor Madhuri Dixit. Only the lucky few who got a chance to visit the unique gallery know how close it was to the late legendary artist’s heart.
“I recall a three-storied building. The basement had a cinema theatre for around 50 people. The upper two floors were galleries with large paintings by Hussain. I remember the series on Gajagamini — paintings inspired by Madhuri Dixit,” says Yagnik.
Historian Anuradha Reddy, who is among those who have visited Cinema Ghar on a few occasions, was shocked by the demolition. “I went there a couple of times. It was such a lively place. I remember watching special shows and non-commercial films there,” says Reddy, who is also the convenor of INTACH. She shared a great rapport with MF Hussain.
“His major work was on Hindu deities, some of which were sold abroad. His roots were in Hyderabad. It was always such a wonderful experience to visit Cinema Ghar. Razing the culture and history of Hyderabad is so sad,” she mourns.
One of the striking features of Cinema Ghar was its black-and-white exterior, with replicas of Hussain’s trademark sketches. The interiors were vibrant with the late artist’s paintings, each a masterpiece in its own right. The structure also housed a library with hundreds of books on cinema, art and music. Another highlight was the gallery which displayed photos of Madhuri Dixit, Dada Saheb Phalke, Tabu and others besides a collection of digital albums of the Beetles, AR Rehman, Martha Graham and many others. The 50-seater theatre, equipped with a Dolby sound system was a stand-out feature too.
Art curator Kaali Sudhir was just 12 when he got the opportunity to visit the iconic structure along with his father. “I remember visiting Cinema Ghar with my dad. As we entered, a man with a long white beard (Hussain) offered us tea. He talked to us for about 15 minutes. I looked around and saw several paintings hanging in the atrium. It was one of the most wonderful experiences,” recalls Sudhir.
Hussain’s family sold the property last
year. “I have very fond memories of Cinema Ghar. I had even gone for its inauguration,” recalls artist Laxman Aelay. "At the inauguration, many wellknown artists were present and so was Madhuri Dixit. Hussain also had a special screening of his film Meenakshi: The tale of three cities in the beautifully-designed theatre,” he says, adding that even the souvenir shop selling prints of Hussain’s paintings attracted a crowd. “It’s really said that the last link that we had with the great artist is now lost.” he sighs.
A couple of days ago, director Jeethu Joseph had shared a photo of Venkatesh and producers of his upcoming film, Drishyam 2. While the news has excited Venkatesh fans, a question that was asked was — why wasn’t Sripriya, who successfully directed Drishyam Telugu (2013), helming the second part?
The film’s producer Suresh reveals that Jeethu Joseph was originally slated to direct Drishyam Telugu too. “Back then, he wanted him to direct the Telugu version too after the super success in Malayalam, but he had other commitments and couldn’t do it. It was then that we roped in Sripriya,” shares Suresh, adding that Jeethu doesn’t wasn’t to miss out on the chance this time.
“We are trying to make cosmetic changes to the script. Drishyam is not just about good-versus-evil crime thriller, but an immersive story
about the protagonist and his emotional journey to save his family. So we are trying to make the plot independent — those who haven’t watched the first version still connect to the second part,” he says.