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<div class="itg-mosimage"><amp-img src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Fsites%2Fmedia2%2Findiatoday%2Fimages%2Fstories%2F1998August%2Faseanregional3_082412104129.gif" alt="" height="425" width="650" class="" layout="responsive"></amp-img>East-West story: the US-Russia lovefest<p>The Indians, they said, were good, but the American-Russian show-stopper starring Madeleine Albright (Maria) and Yevgenyi Primakov (as Yevgenyi) was brilliant an East-West romantic spoof on the popular musical<i>West Side Story</i>. The occasion: the customary song-and-dance skit at the concluding dinner at the ASEAN ministerial meeting.<br><br>East-West story. Excerpt:<br><b>Maria:</b>Yevgenyi, I just met a boy named Yevgenyi/And suddenly that name means no zero sum game for me.<br><b>Yevgenyi:</b>I just met a girl named Madeleine Albright/And suddenly I find, she thinks she'll change my mind for free.<br><b>Maria: </b>My dear, they fired the whole cabinet but you're here /you survived the last purge /you won't have to sing a dirge with me.<br><b>Yevgenyi:</b>Madeleine Albright/ She's over the top but she's alright/from Prague to Manila/She's stomped like Godzilla.<br><br>The theme probably began to ring in Jaswant Singh's mind in the tedium of the flights to New York and Frankfurt. It was a song from a 1960 hit film sung by Mukesh:<i>Chodo kal ki baatein/kal ke baat purani/naye daur mein likhenge/mil kar nayi kahani/hum Hindustani, hum Hindustani </i>(Yesterday's events are now a part of the past. In the new era, we Indians will build a new future together).</p><p>But Mukesh's patriotic rendering was far too straight for the song-and-dance skit, said South Block's brightest. A team of high-level diplomats then sat down to weave the song to the new theme of India's Pokhran tests.</p><p>"Why such a fuss over a few crackers in the Thar", went the song, "They weren't as loud as Nevada and Lop Nor/ Sherrif (Nawaz Sharif) took his ones and joined the fun/ Evita (Albright) lost some sleep, Juan (Jiang Zemin) proliferated in the sun." The song went on to extol Indo-ASEAN friendship: <i>"We Hindustani with you ASEANI."</i><br><br>There was a quick improvisation too. Team leader Singh's sense of humour could not be contained for long. After hearing the US-Russian duet, he added one more line and rendered it in his own deep baritone voice: "Now that the supers are over the top and can't bang any more/ It's the turn of the Hindustanis/ Hum Hindustani, Hum Hindustani."<br><br>All this talent led to a case of severe stage-fright. Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan's hands shook visibly as he weakly belted out a song, based on a Beijing Opera theme.<br></p><div id="tab-link-wrapper-plugin"><div class="authors__container"><div class="authors__by"><div class="authlable">Published By: </div><div class="authdetaisl">AtMigration </div></div><div class="published__on"><div class="authlable">Published On: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Aug 10, 1998</div></div></div><div class="sendros">--- ENDS ---</div></div></div>

diplomacy

Diplomacy

<div class="itg-mosimage"><div class="itgimage"><img  title=""  class="" alt="" src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Fsites%2Fmedia2%2Findiatoday%2Fimages%2Fstories%2F1998August%2Faseanregional3_082412104129.gif" loading="lazy" /></div>East-West story: the US-Russia lovefest<p>The Indians, they said, were good, but the American-Russian show-stopper starring Madeleine Albright (Maria) and Yevgenyi Primakov (as Yevgenyi) was brilliant an East-West romantic spoof on the popular musical<i>West Side Story</i>. The occasion: the customary song-and-dance skit at the concluding dinner at the ASEAN ministerial meeting.<br><br>East-West story. Excerpt:<br><b>Maria:</b>Yevgenyi, I just met a boy named Yevgenyi/And suddenly that name means no zero sum game for me.<br><b>Yevgenyi:</b>I just met a girl named Madeleine Albright/And suddenly I find, she thinks she'll change my mind for free.<br><b>Maria: </b>My dear, they fired the whole cabinet but you're here /you survived the last purge /you won't have to sing a dirge with me.<br><b>Yevgenyi:</b>Madeleine Albright/ She's over the top but she's alright/from Prague to Manila/She's stomped like Godzilla.<br><br>The theme probably began to ring in Jaswant Singh's mind in the tedium of the flights to New York and Frankfurt. It was a song from a 1960 hit film sung by Mukesh:<i>Chodo kal ki baatein/kal ke baat purani/naye daur mein likhenge/mil kar nayi kahani/hum Hindustani, hum Hindustani </i>(Yesterday's events are now a part of the past. In the new era, we Indians will build a new future together).</p><p>But Mukesh's patriotic rendering was far too straight for the song-and-dance skit, said South Block's brightest. A team of high-level diplomats then sat down to weave the song to the new theme of India's Pokhran tests.</p><p>"Why such a fuss over a few crackers in the Thar", went the song, "They weren't as loud as Nevada and Lop Nor/ Sherrif (Nawaz Sharif) took his ones and joined the fun/ Evita (Albright) lost some sleep, Juan (Jiang Zemin) proliferated in the sun." The song went on to extol Indo-ASEAN friendship: <i>"We Hindustani with you ASEANI."</i><br><br>There was a quick improvisation too. Team leader Singh's sense of humour could not be contained for long. After hearing the US-Russian duet, he added one more line and rendered it in his own deep baritone voice: "Now that the supers are over the top and can't bang any more/ It's the turn of the Hindustanis/ Hum Hindustani, Hum Hindustani."<br><br>All this talent led to a case of severe stage-fright. Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan's hands shook visibly as he weakly belted out a song, based on a Beijing Opera theme.<br></p><div id="tab-link-wrapper-plugin"><div class="authors__container"><div class="authors__by"><div class="authlable">Published By: </div><div class="authdetaisl">AtMigration </div></div><div class="published__on"><div class="authlable">Published On: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Aug 10, 1998</div></div></div><div class="sendros">--- ENDS ---</div></div></div>

The Indians, they said, were good, but the American-Russian show-stopper starring Madeleine Albright (Maria) and Yevgenyi Primakov (as Yevgenyi) was brilliant an East-West romantic spoof on the popular musical&nbsp;<i>West Side Story</i>.

India Today

customary song-and-dance skit at ASEAN ministerial meeting, East-West romance spoof popular musical story

The 'Funpolitik' - India Today

Customary song-dance skit held at ASEAN ministerial meeting

The 'Funpolitik'

The sudden demise of Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra’s longest-serving deputy CM, pushes his party into a state of vacuum while muddling merger talks between the two NCP factions

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Iceland Cricket trolled Pakistan amid speculation over a possible T20 World Cup boycott. The post comes as the ICC warns of heavy sanctions if Pakistan attempt a last-minute withdrawal like Bangladesh.

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Home Minister Anitha Vangalapudi, Information and Public Relations Minister Kolusu Parthasarathi, Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav, and Minister Nadendla Manohar will take part in the meeting. It will be spearheaded by Nara Lokesh.

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JEE Main shift analysis is here. Experts suggest that the paper was moderate to difficult, with some sections proving more challenging. Here’s a look at the detailed analysis.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election rally in poll-bound Kerala on Thursday saw a warm and light-hearted moment when he paused his speech to acknowledge a young child in the crowd holding up his picture, drawing loud applause. Modi asked the boy to hand over the photograph, write his home address on the back, and promised to write to him personally, directing SPG personnel to handle the picture carefully as a token of the child’s affection. 

PM Modi's Kerala  rally.

You’ll get tired beta: PM’s warm moment with child holding his pic at Kerala rally

 Amidst inclement weather and heavy snowfall, a team of Udhampur police rescued 12 individuals, including women and children, who were stranded at Chochru Galla in the upper ridges of the Basantgarh area.

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Ajith Kumar's fans took the celebrations too seriously as they burst crackers inside a theatre hall during Mankatha screening. The film re-released in South India on January 23.

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In an exclusive interview with India Today TV Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai at Davos, Somalia's Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama spoke in fluent Hindi and slammed Donald Trump for his remarks and recalled his student days in India. 

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Customary song-dance skit held at ASEAN ministerial meeting

The Indians, they said, were good, but the American-Russian show-stopper starring Madeleine Albright (Maria) and Yevgenyi Primakov (as Yevgenyi) was brilliant an East-West romantic spoof on the popular musical West Side Story.

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