Sunday, October 30, 2011

Indian Grand Prix >28-30 Oct'2011@Noida,India


Just a few years ago, India would not have ranked among the countries you'd commonly associate with Formula One racing. Today, however, the nation has its own F1 team in Force India, has bred two F1 drivers in Karun Chandhok and Narain Kathikeyan, and hosted its first grand prix this year. Despite all this, Force India chief, Vijay Mallya, thinks his home country still has more to offer the world of motorsports
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Trulli: Target kept Chandhok out
Jarno Trulli has insisted that the decision not to have local hero Karun Chandhok race for Team Lotus at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix was purely a racing one, with the team determined to lock down 10th place in the Constructors’ Championship.

None of us wants to lose this opportunity to finish 10th in the championship.

Lotus tester Karun Chandhok has lost out on the chance to race in front of his home crowd at this weekend’s inaugural Indian event, after the team decided to retain regular line-up Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli for the New Delhi race. Chandhok, however, will be in action in the T128 during Friday's opening practice session.
Many had predicted that Team Lotus would attempt to maximise appeal in India by putting Chennai-born Chandhok in the T128 for the F1’s newest race, especially as the Indian racer recently utilised Red Bull Racing’s simulator in a bid to learn the track. However, prior to the team’s arrival at the Buddh Circuit it was revealed that Chandhok will be restricted to driving in Friday’s first free practice session.

“There is a lot of investment made by the team for the future, for next year, in order to make (the) step into the midfield and I think none of us wants to lose this opportunity to finish 10th in the championship,” said Trulli in Thursday’s official FIA press conference. “This, I believe, is the main reason for not giving Karun another chance. But it is not down to me, honestly, to talk about it. This race is the only thing I can think about.” And eyeing Sunday’s race, Trulli admitted his initial impressions of the circuit were positive.

“I arrived only last night but the circuit itself looks pretty good,” he said. “The layout seems very interesting. Obviously the question mark is about how dirty and dusty it is. I have been around this morning cycling and it was very dusty. I hope they can clean today and tomorrow morning and see how the circuit develops over the weekend. But it is definitely something that looks pretty good.”

Looking further ahead Trulli said the team was expecting to take another step forward in 2012, though he added that the team did not need to make a huge leap in order to achieve their immediate targets. “We have several new things coming in which should make us take a step forward in terms of performance,” he said. “We really hope that we can do what we haven’t done or what we were not able to do this year. We were expecting to be fighting the midfield and we were not quite there, so for next year I think Tony (Fernandes) and everybody is determined to make this step and they are working very hard on next year’s car and there are several deals in place in order to get a good package together for next year’s car so we are very confident of making this step.

“If you look at certain results we don’t really need (a big) jump,” he added. “We just need a little further step, as we are in a situation that the car in front is slightly quicker than us and the cars behind us are definitely slower than us, so we just need a further step to be in the midfield. “Obviously If you want to think about winning races it is different. You need a further jump but you need to take things step-by-step. Rome wasn’t built in a day and the team was built just two years ago.”


“I am very excited about driving at the new Buddh International Circuit in FP1 in front of my home crowd and while I am obviously disappointed that I won’t have the chance to race on Sunday, I accept the team’s decision to opt for the experience and talent they have at their disposal with Jarno and Heikki,” explained the 27 year-old.

Karthikeyan senses ‘historic moment’
HRT driver Narain Karthikeyan has admitted he is looking forward to what will be an “historic moment” when he becomes the first Indian driver to race in Formula One on home soil this weekend.

It is a huge day for Indian motorsport and those first few laps tomorrow are going to be very special.

Karthikeyan has been handed a race seat at the new Buddh International Circuit in Delhi ahead of regular driver Vitantonio Liuzzi and despite the pressures on him as the only Indian driver pencilled in to race, Karthikeyan said he would just try to enjoy himself this weekend, with his main target being just to finish the grand prix.

“The realistic thing with our car is to possibly finish the race and beat your team-mate,” he said. “If you do that, I think at the moment, we can’t expect much more. It is an historic and symbolic moment that an Indian driver is on the grid and, of course, there is a lot following Formula One for a long time. There will be a lot of fans here. It will be hard to explain but it is what it is. I want to enjoy the weekend, have a lot of fun, and try and do the best I can do.’ The HRT driver, who made his F1 debut with Jordan in 2005, admitted he had expected to compete in a grand prix on home soil, and that Friday, when the cars take to the track for the first time, will be a “huge day for Indian motorsport”.

“I did not think in my racing career that I would be racing in India and here we are just around the corner. I’ve had thousands of requests for passes,” he smiled. “I just need to relax and from tomorrow it is going to be different, you are in the car a lot. I just want to enjoy the whole atmosphere. My family, everyone is coming. It is a huge day for Indian motorsport and those first few laps tomorrow are going to be very special, yes.”

The Indian driver has been impressed with the track, too. “With the circuit, again like everybody else, it is wide in some places, I am sure lots of different lines you are going to see, lots of overtaking. It is definitely a very challenging circuit, with lots of run off areas and so on, so they have done a very good job, no doubt.”
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'It’s complete, it’s finished. The race is happening, it’s real, it’s a dream come true' - Vijay Mallya
 
Sahara Force India boss Vijay Mallya has admitted that the Indian Grand Prix is a “dream come true” and an event he did not expect to witness in his lifetime.

Vijay Mallya: "A lot of people were sceptical, and I think we proved them all wrong."

Connected to the development of the track since its inception, Mallya said that all those involved had proved any doubters wrong. “A lot of people were sceptical, and I think we proved them all wrong, which is very, very nice,” he said of the circuit’s opening.

“I drove around the track a couple of times yesterday, I spoke to several drivers. They simply love the track. It’s complete, it’s finished. The race is happening, it’s real, it’s a dream come true. “I have a huge vested interest,” he added. “Over 30 years ago I drove my Ensign Formula One car here in India and I never thought I would ever see a Formula One car race around India in the future.

“As the chairman of the ASN responsible for motorsport here, we have been trying to promote motorsport in this country for over three decades and this is like a dream come true. When I acquired the then Spyker team, I re-named it Force India and there was a lot of strategy and meaning behind it, as it was meant to put India on the Formula One map. We have had an Indian team since 2008 on the Formula One grid and now a grand prix here in Delhi. This is unbelievably fantastic.”

Asked if the Indian Government would now become involved in the event financially, Mallya said that the Grand Prix would continue in the hands of private enterprise. “In a country like India, with the profile of our people, with the number of under-privileged people we also have, it would be too much of an ask if we went to government and said ‘subsidise motor sport’,” he said. “So this initiative here at the Buddh International Circuit is a private initiative by the Jaypee Group – God bless them, they’ve done a wonderful job and invested a lot of money and they haven’t depended on any sort of government grants.”

The Sahara Force India boss was then asked about reports contrasting the glamorous nature of F1 with the underprivileged population he had mentioned. “In every country there are the privileged and the under-privileged. We have under-privileged people in our country, but that doesn’t mean that the country must be bogged down or weighed down,” he said. “India is a progressive country, we have a strongly growing economy, a large economy. The government is doing all it can to address the needs of the poor or the under-privileged people but India must move on.

“Back in 1990, we consciously made a decision to integrate ourselves into the world economy, to open up from an era of total government control and so the country must move forward. The Commonwealth Games were held here in India, now it’s Formula One. I’m sure there will be several more global events in our country, because this is a world-class country in many ways. Sure we have our problems but those are being addressed.”



Sebastian Vettel gets pole position, Narain Karthikeyan almost last in maiden Indian Grand Prix

Buddh International Circuit Long Shot
It was an action packed qualifying session, the traffic snarls at the venue were legendary with the snarls extending to late evening when I was passing by the track. Spotted a few team folks in various cars  Team Lotus prefers the Renault Fluence to travel in style.
Jenson Button Qualifying Indian GP
Sebastian Vettel grabbed another pole position showing the dominance of his Red Bull, he is just three wins shy of Michael Schumacher’s record of most wins in a formula one season and looks all set to equal that if he continues his current form.
“The car was fantastic since yesterday and throughout qualifying,” said Sebastian Vettel. “In the end there was a little bit left in the first sector.
“I’m extremely happy and it’s good to be here. It will be a very interesting race on a challenging circuit.
“You have to really make sure you stay on the line and the circuit here is not forgiving mistakes. It’s not easy but I enjoy what I do and I was excited when I came here.”
Lewis Hamilton was second fastest in qualifying however due to a penalty he was given on Friday, he got thrown back three places and will start fifth on the grid. Fernando Alonso who will start third on the grid and seemed pleased with Hamilton’s penalty :
“With Hamilton’s penalty, starting third will be even better,” The Spaniard said
Teammate Brazilian Felipe Massa could manage only sixth position in contrast. He has been quite a press favorite with certain Indian tabloids going gaga over his resemblance to his brother whatshisname Massa.
Lewis Hamilton Indian Grand Prix Qualifying

Meanwhile Narain Karthikeyan would have entered the bad books of Michael Schumacher. Narain impeded the German champion in his hot lap and was penalized five places. Needless to say that generally means Narain Karthikeyan would be starting last on the grid. However since Timo Glock is approved to race despite being too slow, Narain wont be last on the grid.
Adrian Sutil of Force India qualified in eight position impressing new boss Subrata Roy (in photo with Nico Hulkenberg). Force India fans will remember Sahara bought stake in the team rechristening it the Sahara Force India formula one team.

PosDriverNationalityTeamPoints
1 Sebastian VettelGerman RBR-Renault374
2 Jenson ButtonBritish McLaren-Mercedes240
3 Fernando AlonsoSpanish Ferrari227
4 Mark WebberAustralian RBR-Renault221
5 Lewis HamiltonBritish McLaren-Mercedes202
6 Felipe MassaBrazilian Ferrari98
7 Nico RosbergGerman Mercedes75
8 Michael SchumacherGerman Mercedes70
9 Vitaly PetrovRussian Renault36
10 Nick HeidfeldGerman Renault34
11 Adrian SutilGerman Force India-Mercedes30
12 Kamui KobayashiJapanese Sauber-Ferrari27
13 Jaime AlguersuariSpanish STR-Ferrari26
14 Paul di RestaBritish Force India-Mercedes21
15 Sebastien BuemiSwiss STR-Ferrari15
16 Sergio PerezMexican Sauber-Ferrari14
17 Rubens BarrichelloBrazilian Williams-Cosworth4
18 Bruno SennaBrazilian Renault2
19 Pastor MaldonadoVenezuelan Williams-Cosworth1
20 Pedro de la RosaSpanish Sauber-Ferrari0
21 Jarno TrulliItalian Lotus-Renault0
22 Heikki KovalainenFinnish Lotus-Renault0
23 Vitantonio LiuzziItalian HRT-Cosworth0
24 Jerome d'AmbrosioBelgian Virgin-Cosworth0
25 Timo GlockGerman Virgin-Cosworth0
26 Narain KarthikeyanIndian HRT-Cosworth0
27 Daniel RicciardoAustralian HRT-Cosworth0
28 Karun ChandhokIndian Lotus-Renault0

 

Friday, October 14, 2011

Tattooed Wonder>Rick Genest Goes from Mugler to Mainstream



It looks like Rick Genest (aka Rico, aka Zombie Boy, aka Nicola Formichetti’s Mugler main squeeze) might be on his way to becoming fashion’s latest unconventional muse. The tattoo aficionado—who’s no stranger to the spotlight, having previously made the rounds as a star attraction in a Montreal circus (yup, we’re not kidding)—seems to be making the leap from sideshow to the main stage. In addition to appearances on both men's and women's Mugler catwalks, Genest currently stars in Mugler's new fall campaign, shot by Mariano Vivanco, to be released later this year. The stark black-and-white images provide the perfect backdrop for the brand’s graphic tailoring and Rick’s cranial facial decorations (what kind of SPF does he uses?). If that weren’t enough, he also stars in a meaty editorial for the new GQ Style, which hits .

There are some things for which money, distance, even the law, are no object. If you have a muse, this won't be news to you. Here's the incredible but true story of how Mugler's new creative director Nicola Formichetti discovered Rick Genest—aka Rico, aka Zombie Boy, aka that guy with the mad skull tattoo on his face—and got him to walk in his debut men's collection, basically becoming the face of Mugler. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a little encouragement from Lady Gaga (who, by the way, snapped up half the collection, with the other half in Rick's inky hands).






It looks like Rick Genest (aka Rico, aka Zombie Boy, aka Nicola Formichetti’s Mugler main squeeze) might be on his way to becoming fashion’s latest unconventional muse. The tattoo aficionado—who’s no stranger to the spotlight, having previously made the rounds as a star attraction in a Montreal circus (yup, we’re not kidding)—seems to be making the leap from sideshow to the main stage. In addition to appearances on both men's and women's Mugler catwalks, Genest currently stars in Mugler's new fall campaign, shot by Mariano Vivanco, to be released later this year. The stark black-and-white images provide the perfect backdrop for the brand’s graphic tailoring and Rick’s cranial facial decorations (what kind of SPF does he uses?). If that weren’t enough, he also stars in a meaty editorial for the new GQ Style, which hits newsstands tomorrow. Dark, brooding,






There are some things for which money, distance, even the law, are no object. If you have a muse, this won't be news to you. Here's the incredible but true story of how Mugler's new creative director Nicola Formichetti discovered Rick Genest—aka Rico, aka Zombie Boy, aka that guy with the mad skull tattoo on his face—and got him to walk in his debut men's collection, basically becoming the face of Mugler. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a little encouragement from Lady Gaga (who, by the way, snapped up half the collection, with the other half in Rick's inky hands)...



Lee Carter: How did you find Rick Genest?

Nicola Formichetti: I found Rico on Facebook.



You stumbled across his profile?


I had his picture on my wall forever. I saw it one day on Google. I thought it was amazing Halloween make-up done by Peter Philips or something. I mean, I've done so many shoots with skull make-up. And then, in October I got my first tattoo, a triangle with a circle inside, an ancient Japanese symbol meaning centeredness. And the tattoo artist who did it, my friend Maxime, who has this tattoo magazine called Sang Bleu, saw that picture and said, "Oh yeah, that guy is Zombie Boy. He lives in Montreal.



So you sought Rico out on Facebook and asked him to model for you.


Yeah, I just wanted him to be the face of whatever we were going to create. At that point the clothes were, you know, proper suits and shirts and very clean. I just needed to have some kind of a twist to it or...



An edge.

Yeah, so after seeing his pictures on Facebook, I just thought he was so inspiring. Just by looking at his pictures I changed the whole collection.



You changed the whole collection?


Well, I added more, by taking stuff from him, making it a bit darker and gothicy. So basically I Facebooked him and was like, "You know, I'm doing this thing in Paris and I would love you to be there in two weeks." He emailed me back straightaway and he was like, "Yeah, sure, I would love to, but I don’t have a passport." And then I start thinking how the fuck is he going to get a passport in time?



Like it's a crime to have a tattoo on your face? What did you do?

I had no idea what to do. I was calling my lawyers, saying we have to get this guy to Paris. But then I thought, maybe he doesn’t need to be there physically. Maybe I can do a film or pictures. So I told him I would go to him in Montreal in two days. I called my friend Mariano [Vivanco, photographer] and my manager. We got together the first week after the holidays as I was about to leave for Paris to work on the last bit of the collection. I remember thinking I have to do this, I just have a gut feeling, I have to work with this guy. Everyone said he's a freak, why would I want to do that to a luxury brand? I didn’t listen to anyone and just went. I brought some clothes, a couple of suits, and I actually made lots of clothes the night before I left New York. I had pieces sent from Paris and was just making stuff in my house, and then took everything to Montreal and we did a photo shoot and video. The photos are the ones we just launched as a visual campaign.





I saw those. Beautiful.

It was so inspiring. Then I showed it to Gaga and she was like, "Oh my god, you have to do a show." I always loved her song Shiza. For me, Shiza is in the spirit of Mugler, kind of like a dirty Berlin club meets glamour. So she’s like, "Okay, I will remix it and make it amazing for you." I had just wanted to do a film projection, not a show, but I thought, fuck it, let’s do a show.



Okay, so how did you get Rico to Paris in time?

Right, then we found out why he couldn’t get a passport, because he was homeless. He had a lot of fines or something, because he was always sleeping on the street.



Ah, so Mugler paid them? Were they very much?

It was a lot.



A few thousand dollars?

Like ten or twenty.



Whaaa?

Yeah. And he just kept telling me, "I'm not a criminal, I'm not a criminal." It took him so long to tell us. Oh my god, he was so emotional. He was crying and saying how this was going to change his life. It was a beautiful moment.



That was really nice of you guys.

I paid it myself. I really believe in him. He was only in Paris for two days. You kind of imagine him to be a freak, some punk. But it's actually inspiring to hear him talk about shades, which are the dots that create the 3D effect of his tattoo. It becomes more and more refined when it’s shaded.



Wait, is his whole body tattooed? Like a skeleton?

It’s a skeleton theme, yeah. Well, except his uh, there. (Laughs.)



It's good to know some things are still sacred.

Yeah, but not because he didn’t want to. He didn’t have the money.


So eventually he’ll get it done. Sounds painful.

(Laughs.) Maybe it'll be a selection of cock rings. I just really fell in love with the way he lived. In a way his story is similar to Gaga, in that there's no going back. You do what you believe. You are that, you are what you’re creating.



Rick Genest (born August 7, 1985) is a Canadian artist and Fashion Model born in Montreal. He is also known as Zombie Boy for being tattooed like a corpse across the majority of his body. Genest grew up in Châteauguay, a suburb of Montreal. According to his mother he waited, out of respect for her and his father, until the age of 16 to get his first tattoo. He then left home at 17 after graduating from high school, but it was not until the age of 21 that he would first come to Montreal tattoo artist Frank Lewis, since then responsible for inking the majority the designs on his body, which they create together. This has taken over three years, Genest spending thousands of dollars on the artwork, conceived by him to be "about the human body as a decomposing corpse – the art of a rotting cadaver.", and "also a tribute to horror movies", a favourite genre of his. He would become popular in Montreal's "underground scene", but struggled for money and eventually found himself homeless.


Nicola Formichetti (Italian pronunciation: [niˌkɔːla fɔɾmiˈketti]; born 31 May 1977) is an internationally prolific fashion director and fashion editor of mixed Italian and Japanese heritage. He is most widely known as the new creative director for the French fashion house MUGLER, and for being a frequent collaborator with singer-songwriter and performance artist Lady Gaga. Formichetti is also known as fashion director of Vogue Hommes Japan, is a contributing editor of several other fashion magazines, and is fashion director for the clothing company Uniqlo. In November 2010 he was named one of the "most influential creative forces working in fashion today." The following month he was awarded the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator at the 2010 British Fashion Awards.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Remembering Ravan







There is a park across my house where Ramlila happens every year and then on the day of Dussehra, the huge effigy of Ravan stuffed with firecrackers is burnt. On the auspicious day, a huge crowd gathers in the park and on the highest floor of the nearby buildings to be a part of the ritual. Ravan is one character in Ramayan which has always intrigued me. So on this day of Dussehra, I thought of doing some research on the Demon King and stumbled upon many rather unknown facts about him (they were unknown to me at least) which I would like to share with all of you.

Ravan was the great-grandson of the creator of the universe, Brahma and son of the Brahamana sage Vishrava and younger brother of Kubera(the deity of wealth). His mother, Kaikesi was an asura. Kaikesi’s father Sumali wanted her to marry the most powerful man in the world so that he gets an exceptional heir. He kept on rejecting many kings but in the end Kaikesi chose Vishrava to marry. Ravan was hence half Brahmin and half Asura.

Ravan’s original name was Dasamukha. Following his conquest of Lanka, Ravana went to appease Lord Shiva at his abode in Kailash. Unknowingly and whimsically Ravana attempted to uproot the mountain Kailash. Shiva was annoyed by Ravana`s adamant nature and pressed his little toe under the mountain and pinned him firmly. Ravana cried out in pain so loudly that whole world shook in earthquake. He started to appease Shiva until Shiva was satisfied and made him free from the bondage. Shiva was so impressed by Ravana`s bravery and devotion that he gifted him a powerful sword known as Chandrahas (moon blade). Ravana became a life long devotee of Lord Shiva. Ravana was famous for his dance worship, which is called `Shiva Tandava Stotra`. Shiva was pleased by his dance and named him as Ravana, which means `one who roars terrifyingly`. .

Ravana also performed an intense penance to Brahma (the creator god), lasting several years. Pleased with him, Brahma offered him a boon. Ravana asked for immortality, which Brahma refused saying everyone has to die someday. Ravana then asked for absolute invulnerability and supremacy before gods and heavenly spirits, other demons, serpents and wild beasts. Contemptuous of mortal men, he did not ask for protection from them(that is why Lord Vishnu incarnated himself as a human in the form of Lord Ram to kill Ravan). Brahma granted him these boons, and additionally great strength by way of knowledge of divine weapons and sorcery.

Lanka(the city made of gold) was designed by Vishwakarma for Kuber who was Ravan’s brother. Ravan demanded Lanka from him and Vishrava also advised Kuber to hand over the city to Ravan as he was completely undefeatable by now. Lanka florished under Ravan’s rule as he was a very able king.

Initially Ravan used to force himself upon any woman who rejected his advances. One such incidence was with the sage-woman called Vedavati. Vedavati was performing a yagya to appease Lord Vishnu to marry her when Ravana met her at her hermitage. She, however, rejected his advances. After mocking her dedication to Vishnu and her penance, he attacked her, viciously, by pulling her hair. Her chastity and reputation destroyed, Vedavati immolates herself by building a pyre, while Ravana watched. The second was his encounter with the apsara Rambha, upon whom he forced himself. Rambha was betrothed to Kubera‘s son, but Ravana did not cared. Angered at this, Kubera’s son cursed Ravana that his ten heads would fall off his head if he forced himself upon any woman from that point. This curse is said to have protected Sita’s chastity while she was Ravana’s captive for nearly a year.

Ravan also acquired the capacity to change his form, and in the Ramayana he is described as having ten heads and twenty arms. He was endowed with the strength of moving the seas and splitting the tops of mountains. Ravana’s body bore all the marks of one who had fought the devas: the thunderbolt of Indra, the tusks of Indra’s elephant Airavata, and the discus of Vishnu had all scarred him.

In the Bhagavata Purana, Ravana and his brother, Kumbakarna were said to be reincarnations of Jaya and Vijaya, gatekeepers at Vaikuntha, the abode of Vishnu and were cursed to be born in Earth for their insolence. These gatekeepers refused entry to the Sanatha Kumara monks, who, because of their powers and austerity appeared as young children. For their insolence, the monks cursed them to be expelled from Vaikunta and to be born in Earth. The all-merciful Vishnu agreed that they should be punished but agreed to mitigate their curse. He asked them whether they would want to be undergo seven births as devotees of Vishnu or three births as enemies of the Lord. Since they wanted to get back as soon as possible, they agreed to be born in three births as enemies of God. In the first birth, Jaya and Vijaya were born as Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha. Vishnu incarnated as Varaha and Narasimha and killed them both. In Treta Yuga they were born as Ravana and Kumbhakarna and were killed by Rama. Then in Dwapara yuga, and in their final birth, Jaya and Vijaya they were born as Shishupala and Dantavakra and killed by Sri Krishna. After the end of three births, they returned to Vaikunta.

So that’s all folks. Happy Dussehra to all of you!