Srinivas Padma: Personal Musings on Life, Growth, and Connections

Berlin: As German fans drooled over Shah Rukh Khan, the German media shed its perceptions of "bullock cart India" and trained its attention on the Bollywood superstar when he landed here, with one journalist even saying "he is as popular as the Pope". Shah Rukh was here for the screening of Om Shanti Om at the Berlin Film Festival. Some German TV channels suddenly turned their cameras from the Hollywood glitterati to Khan as excited fans let out loud shrieks to greet him at the Berlinale on Friday night. Some channels narrated details of Khan's personal life, his wife Gauri and their two children. The German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, which was highly critical about India and Indians until the mid-1990s, when the world began to notice India's economic and technological prowess, said that many people from all over Europe had descended on Berlin to see their favorite star. "He is as popular as the Pope, but he (Khan) has more sex appeal," ...

Paris: Cyprus pro duced the landmark performance of Wednesday’s batch of Euro 2008 qualifiers when the Mediterranean minnows held mighty Germany to a 1-1 draw in Nicosia. Captain Michael Ballack gave Germany a 15 minute lead but Cyprus, a yawning 73 rungs below them on Fifa’s world rankings, fought back courageously with Yiannakis Okkas’ first-time volley from the edge of the area just before the break earning them a deserved share of the spoils. Despite squandering a forecast three points Germany at least left Cyprus with the consolation of moving top of Group D ahead of the Czech Republic on goal dif ference. Cyprus are placed fourth with in fifth the Republic of Ireland who bade farewell to their creaking stadium at Lansdowne Road with a 5-0 rout over San Marino. Germany coach Joachim Low accepted the result was not what he had expected. “It’s obvious we are not pleased. This was a tough and at times physical games,” he said. However, he did concede that it was a “fair result” and w...