|
|
Frozen
frames
 The
camera was not so feared and shunned as an instrument that could
‘fix’ you, when photography first came to British India in the
second half of the 19th century. In those early decades of the
dalliance with film, ‘photo-opportunity’ was literally that. Many
were the individuals, families and groups that enthusiastically
presented themselves to have their images ‘fixed’, for being
viewed and admired. In her book Re-visioning the Past: Early
Photography in Bengal 1875-1915, Malavika Karlekar presents a rich
selection of rare archival photographs from this period. The photos
and text, mapping the changes of a Bengal in ferment, trace the
history of colonialism and the growth of the urban middle class. This
visual treatise is also the story of photography’s role in the
emergence of identity, and transformations, amid the conflicts between
the coloniser and the colonised. Excerpts:
WITH
the spread of education, growth of photographic establishments, and
the import of albums, families started creating visual records, taking
care to have all the rites of passage represented.
Tribute
Golden
era’s melody man
Gifted with a rich sonorous
voice, Pankaj Mullick has left his imprint on both film and non-film
music. Pran Neville remembers this
musical genius in his centenary year
Pankaj
Mullick, a great musical genius of the 20th century is ever remembered
as the outstanding composer and singer of the golden era of New
Theatres, Kolkata, in the 1930s and ’40s.
Epic
play
The back-to-roots movement in
theatre has directors turning to myths for inspiration, reports Chaman
Ahuja
"Another
Mahabharata play? My goodness, is this Bharat Rang Mahotsava or
Mahabharata Rang Mahotsava?" Thus cribbed a fellow critic—and
he had a reason, too: Bharangam VII had as many as 10 plays
based on the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Did this
popularity of the twin epics signify our love for the glory that was
Ind? Not exactly, because reinterpreting myths in the light of one’s
own experiences has been the way of every culture.
Spell
of city on the Nile
Sujoy
Dhar recounts his Cairo visit and the ambience of an ancient
civilisation
When
I saw glimpses of Cairo in The Great
Gambler and action involving Big B and his leading ladies, I knew
I had to visit this city some day. The awesome Pyramids, enchanting
Nile, mind-boggling museums and roadside sheesha joints make it
a vibrant city.
Heroic
Heroines
Women of the Hindi cinema
have excelled in defiant roles, says M.L. Dhawan
It
is only now that leading women in the
Hindi film world have started commanding an equal price with the male
leads and also a super star status that travelled from Madhuri Dixit
to Aishwarya Rai.
Abrupt
fadeouts
A documentary by a Hong
Kong-based Indian filmmaker delves into the plight of one-hit wonders,
writes Saibal Chatterjee
Call
it an accidental
documentary if you will, but the inspiration for Hong Kong-based
Indian filmmaker Komal Tolani’s directorial debut, Sunset
Bollywood, did come to her in a flash.
Web
of beauty
Beautiful
People.net, an elite online members’ club, based in Denmark has
launched a new online forum in Britain with the aim of introducing
beautiful people to other beautiful people. The site is likely to be
launched in India in June.
New
York toasts Bollywood
With
a growing overseas audience, Indian films are becoming a hot favourite
in the US. Awards functions have also moved base to cater to this
growing popularity .
|
