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Classic Collection TECH TALK Selection
and care of fabrics
Film & FASHION
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Sleeveless in November
Her ivory-chiseled fingers do not roll up the sleeves for bracing the hard dull bitterness of cold as she leaves the warm comfort of her house every morning to encounter the outside world. For, there are neither winters, nor sleeves for the young college student. As the cool November breeze fails to freeze the warm enthusiasm of youth bubbling deep inside her, the under-grad gives chills to the onlookers in stunning sleeveless suits, gaily. “Even deep in December, I wear sleeveless,” says Zoya with a juicy smile playing on her naughty lips. “Only the stuff is different. Instead of cotton, I zip up tank tops in woolens”. You know there is nothing up their sleeves as they enter the discotheques with macho guys for cutting footloose to the reverberating beats of thumping music in cheerful tank tops, exposing dainty arms to admiring glances. They make city-based fashion designer Rinki Chauhan say: “Sleeveless tank tops with nice little straps holding up the garment were hot in winters earlier also. But in good old days of Doordarshan, when FTV had not invaded the lives and living rooms of so many people, they were worn under jackets and coats.” Digging out a spaghetti top from her exclusive collection of sleeveless garments, she whispers: “The tops were pulled out of the closet to be worn alone only for casually formal late night bashes, like the ones organised on the New Year’s eve. For going to colleges, it was shirts or suits with sleeves.” Explaining the trend, Rinki says: “Flaunting assets was not an integral part of their daily routine. There was another reason. Comfort and snugness were as important as looking chic for so many damsels”. But now the things are different, indeed. “Concern for coziness is the last thing on their ever-shifting minds as damsels of the world hover over college campus in spaghetti strap tops with pullovers tied around their reed-thin waists,” smiles Rinki. The young fashion designer knows what she is saying. For, she is daily selling four to five sleeveless tops from her garment house in Sector 35. “My customers include vivacious girls, even old battle axes,” she says. So girls, forget all about full coats. Ignore the ever-flowing nose. Go ahead. Buy yourself a nice sleeveless top. Now. It is worth it.
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Meet the authors
The need to communicate a venerable message impelled two city-based authors to convey their beliefs in volumes that have done them proud.
At gracefully conducted Meet the Author gatherings at the Rupa book exhibition, Manraj Grewal and Roopinder Singh, over two evenings, engaged with book lovers — a chance to relate, articulate and share their beliefs and views. Manraj Grewal’s “Dreams after Darkness, a search for a life ordinary under the shadow on 1984”, gave readers an opportunity to look into the hearts of people who took an “alternate path (militancy) for several reasons, none of them clichéd” and what became of them. Roopinder Singh’s “Guru Nanak: His Life and Teachings” was his way of “communicating Guru Nanak’s message to a contemporary audience in a simple way”. His selected passage to read from reflected his anguish over how far we have drifted from the teachings of the guru with respect to women, “if the figures of female foeticide are anything to go by.” Intense and heartfelt, Manraj’s work is a sturdy testimony to her vast talent. “Our brief for the paper (she is currently Deputy Resident Editor for the Indian Express in Chandigarh) was to go back to the militants and see where their lives had taken them. This evolved into a book.” What moved her to write the book? “We found things had changed quite dramatically and that militancy was gone. It was fascinating because I started out with a different premise and was surprised with the answers and their positive outlook to life.” Her insights are simple and clear. “They have paid a price for acts that cannot be condoned but most are not bitter-they have simple lives with ordinary dreams which they want to fulfil.” The book did well. It went on to occupy the number one slot on the Browser list. However, in the two years since the book first came out, Manraj is brimming with other ideas. “Short stories stemming out of real life”, a book on the history of Punjab and a history of the life and times of Emperor Babur (He conquered Samarkand when he was only 13!) are but some of her budding thoughts, ideas her role as a journalist have prepared her well for! “When I told my mother I wanted to write a book on Guru Nanak’s teachings, she suggested I read other books on this and from her personal collection sent me 32 to go through!” smiles Roopinder, currently Assistant Editor with The Tribune, recounting how his book came into being. “It is a text which is respectful but not hagiographic. I have tried to retain a rational tone and relate what Guru Nanak said to the world around us.” Is the book simplistic then? “Not really, because I have taken care to quote the sources from where the information came placing it in an unobtrusive way. What I have tried is to present a text hyperlinked to references and tied up to visuals.” The visual elements in the book are the real treats. “These were carefully selected to impart a feel of the period knowing that there are no visual representations of the Guru and his era,” explains Roopinder. The pictures are delightful for they are rare representations, have been sourced from Government Museum, Chandigarh, and a private collection from the House of Bagrain. “There are a number of photographs taken by friends and by me which are also incorporated in the book.” The first edition of this picturesque and simply and elegantly written work is going into its second edition soon and a Hindi translation is also underway. Any new projects on the cards yet? “There are some subjects hovering in my mind, but it takes time. It is best to have a work ready and then present it and talk of it.”
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Classic Collection
The array is dazzling — selections for everyone ranging from the exotic to the familiar. Charming for their enterprise in picking strands of cultures and streaks of diversity, the Rupa book fair is clearly infusing books into a society as an ethos to be upheld. A fine selection of classics greets the reader through Rupa’s “Ekanki Natika” series, an assortment of one act plays and short stories at Rs 45 each make for first-rate reading. “Man, Woman and Dog” by Indira Parthasarathy (a pseudonym for eminent Tamil playwright Ranganathan Parthasarathy), “The Unrecognised Soldier” by Aramban Somorendra (Sahitya Akademi Award winner in 1995, from Manipur), “Devi and other Stories” by Prabhat Mukhopadhyay (born in 1873, his story Devi was made into a highly acclaimed film by Satyajit Ray), there are over 30 titles to choose from. An anthology of Bengali poetry from the Independence (Rs 395), Urdu poems, a lovely selection of Gulzar’s work (“Splinter”, “Seema”, “Addha and other Stories”), Thomas Moore’s “Lalla Rookh” the variety is endless! A tremendous range of Tagore’s works, over 50, including recently released four omnibuses make choices difficult. A heady selection of 20 titles takes the reader on a sojourn of some of the best and original literary landscapes from France in a special series developed by them. And if you are on the lookout for international bestsellers and selections, then Rupa’s tie-up with publishing giant Random House should do the trick! “Eldest” - the second in the Eragon trilogy by Christopher Paolini (Rs 595), Bill Clinton’s “My Life” (Rs 495), Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Madhur Jafrey’s charming “Climbing the Mango Tree” a memoir of childhood in India along with Toni Morrison, W. Somerset Maugham, Kafka, even a wide selection of Arthur Hailey delights! There are lists as yet untouched, a medley that goes beyond mere catalogues, so take a look and lose yourself in a magical world where every word counts. On till Sunday November 13, from 11 am to 8 pm at Lajpat Rai Bhavan, Sector 15-B, and all books come at a 10 per cent discount. — G.R.
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TECH TALK When was the last time you thought about who your great-grandfather was or how many different uncles and aunts you have or what each of their kids are doing ... don’t be very surprised if you find out that the family living three houses away from you is in fact not a very distant relative of yours. Welcome to the world of genealogy! For the uninitiated, genealogy is the study of family lineage, family histories and ancestry. Professional genealogists search written records, collect oral histories and preserve family stories to discover ancestors and living relatives. Rated as one of the most popular hobbies in the world today, many would agree that tracing your family’s history is a fascinating journey. A family tree is an excellent way to begin discovering and organising your family story. For those who not only want to trace their family history but are also looking for ways to share it with others, the Internet offers the best solution. There are many interesting websites, free softwares and tools on the Internet that not only help you discover, but also preserve and celebrate your heritage. Family Tree Makers There are many family tree maker websites and free softwares available on the Internet that can tell you everything from the lifespan of your ancestors to other interesting facts about your surname and more. If you are looking at creating your family tree, you can do a lot more than just making a chorological family chart. This means, you can add other interesting details and stories related to your family, photographs of your family members, addresses, contact information, birthday dates and much more. Websites and softwares offer features like sending e-mail reminders on birthdays and other special occasions. Once you put together these information on a website, you can then invite friends, family and children to view and update your family tree. In today’s scenario, this is an excellent way to help your children understand the family history and stay in touch. Whether you are looking at genealogy as a hobby, a summer project or a serious profession, the Internet has something in store for everyone. This includes information on celebrity family trees, genealogy and how to get started. Genealogy: What all you can do?
Interesting www.genealogy.com www.ancestry.com www.familysearch.org Free Softwares www.smartdraw.com www.famtreesoftware.com Courtesy: Atul Gupta, CEO of RedAlkemi, an Internet Marketing and Web Development Company. You can reach him at atul@redalkemi.com
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Selection and care of fabrics
Courtesy: Supreet Dhiman, Besten & Co
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A Spell of Textures The
rich confluence of styles leaves one asking for more. There are vibrant
bold colours, a spell of textures, materials and mediums forming some
exhilarating compositions. The
exhibition of paintings and prints by faculty members of Government
Chitrakala Mahavidyalaya, Nagpur, bring to the fore some excellent work
going on in the region. Realistic and rooted, the works are on display at
the Museum of Fine Arts, Panjab University, although most of the artists
themselves could not make it for the showing. Abdul Gaffar A.B. Sattar’s paintings (oil on canvas) touch upon a gentle gamut of colours (blues, greens, browns and yellows) and emotions going into a definite composition with a red sky and haldi moon—nothing is stark and raw—there is a glowing finesse in the gentle touch upon the arm or the mother stretching out to hold her child. Ramdas Tadka’s work (acrylic on canvas) has a striking attention to detail. “Tai Raghau Nakos” is vibrant and lively with deft strokes lighting up the décor of the room, the light through the green curtained window, the expressions and the niceties of the skirt worn by “Tai”. Tadka uses the mask in all his three paintings. With a Masters in Fine Arts from Sir J.J. School of Art in Mumbai as recently as 2001, Seema Gondane explores emotions and faces in viscosity. Fine line drawings on paper reveal Mrunal Joharapurkar’s appeal towards the mundane, marked by simple effective lines. Two boys on a cycle, a boy with a school bag and two women reflect this style. His “landscape” — acrylic on paper — is an effective painting of an order within a chaotic stream of houses. Prafulla Kshirsagar’s five digital paintings show the consummate skill with which digital art can create effective works of art — the “Flying Bird” in lovely hues of blue is a fine example. Art critic and an exemplary artist, Vikas Joshi’s bold lines, lovely colour palette and capturing the every-day happening — street dogs, a woman doing her hair, watching, a man leaning on a cycle, a woman drawing water from a well, distinct yet merging into the pink backdrop reveal an inherent energy in the works of art in acrylic on canvas. Subhash Babhulkar’s paintings (oil on canvas) create charming ambiences of camaraderie and a fluid poetic appeal in the flow of forms filling the canvas in both paintings —“She and Friends” and “Plate and Parrot.” — Gayatri Rajwade
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Film & FASHION
Evergreen actor-director Dev Anand recently launched the music of his upcoming film ‘Mr Prime Minister’ in Mumbai.
Like in his previous movies, where he impressed the audience with some new experiments, in this film also, he has done something new.
The Bollywood veteran makes his debut as a playback singer in ‘Mr Prime Minister’. He has sung the title track himself in two rap versions — English and Hindi.
Dev Anand’s favourite music composer Bappi Lahiri, along with newcomer Darshan Dave, has composed the movie’s soundtrack.
Lahiri has recorded some hip-hop and pop musical tunes that are clubbed with rap lyrics rendered by Dev Anand, Kuku Prabhas, Imran Ahmed Khan and Darshan Dave.
“I think the music is fantastic and Dev Anand has himself sung a rap song in the film. It’s a very hip-hop song. The film has also got a very beautiful theme song. All the songs have been picturised in a very beautiful manner. The background music is also fantastic,” said Lahiri.
“Mr Prime Minister” focusses on the 9/11 bombing on the USA. It is a satire on the political system with Dev Anand as the protagonist. Boman Irani and ‘Page 3’ star Tara Sharma play pivotal roles in the film.
“I think it’s going to be an interesting film as it’s a political satire. So, I think it’s going to be a different film, and my role is also very different, as I play a terrorist in the movie. And I am quite excited,” said Tara Sharma.
Though there are only three songs in the album, the soundtrack is purely situational and gels with the script of the film. It is slated for release next month.
— ANI
Britney Spears didn’t steal song Pop star Britney Spears can finally breathe a sigh of relief, not that her marital problems with husband Kevin Federline have been sorted out, but for a court passing the verdict that she is not a song thief.
District Judge John D. Thinker in Indianapolis has dismissed a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by Indiana songwriter Steve Wallace against the pop princess over the song “Sometimes,” after determining that the claims brought by him in a May 5 court filing did not merit further action.
Wallace had accused Spears and Sony/BMG Music Publishing Inc. of ripping off music he wrote back in 1990 and using it as the basis for the “Sometimes,” which appeared on her 1999 album, Baby One More Time, and on 2004’s Greatest Hits, “My Prerogative”.
— ANI Ronn Moss ‘Uncovered’ ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ famed actor Ronn Moss recently launched his music album ‘Uncovered’ in Mumbai.
Moss, who is releasing his new album all over the world, is currently in India to promote it, and feels that the songs in it are very close to him. He says his true love is music, with ‘Uncovered’ being his most honest work to date.
“I am just looking forward to perform these tracks from the album. And this project means a lot to me because it took a long time to do. And so every song is more personal to me than any other music project that I have done before,” said Ross.
Celebrities like Ayesha Jhulkha and Adam Bedi, who watched his performance, say it is like a dream come true.
“I have been watching him for years and I am his very big fan. He is a great actor as well as singer and I am happy that he has launched his album here,” said Ayesha.
“His music is great. It is different, every song is unique, he has his own style and sound,” said Bedi.
— ANI
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Health and Fitness Physical activity leads to better mental health! Physical activity is known to help in the prevention and treatment of certain types of depression. Your mental health benefits from just getting away from activities that cause stress in your life daily. — Dr Rashmi Garg is senior consultant, Fortis, Mohali.
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TAROT TALK
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Just in case the reservoir of your knowledge about tank tops is dry, here is some information that is certainly not
sleeveless:
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Fabric forms an integral part of our interiors in the shape of upholstery material for our seating, foot stools, carpets, rugs, curtains and draperies. The life of an upholstered piece can be increased if these simple steps are followed:.jpg)
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ARIES : Concentrate your energy and focus it towards one or two things, instead of letting it disperse. There is nothing to be afraid of on a day like this. Lucky number: 8. Lucky colour: Silver. 
LIBRA : Remember to not get upset by situations that you simply can't control. You will soon be receiving some very good news. In love, don't force the pace today. Lucky number: 2. Lucky colour: Orange. 
TAURUS : Be careful of getting into fights with other people today. If, however, a squabble or an altercation of some sort seems inevitable, don't shrink away and hide. Lucky number: 4. Lucky colour: Emerald green. 
SCORPIO : You will likely find that there is such a brutal dispute over who is holding the reins that once someone finally gets a firm hold of them. Let go of ego and be open to love. Lucky number: 3. Lucky colour: Rose. 
GEMINI : Be proud without becoming too egotistical; otherwise you will end up losing your friends before you even get started. Time to save and make plans for the future. Lucky number: 3. Lucky colour: Silver grey. 
SAGITTARIUS : You draw "Ace of Wands" which puts you in a relaxed mood. Spending quality time with loved ones may be a priority today. Its time to take care of your health. Lucky number: 2. Lucky colour: Blue. 
CANCER : Pull out your leadership robes and put them on proudly. Today is the day for you to call the shots, instead of compromising in order to get along with others. Lucky number: 18. Lucky colour: Peacock blue. 
CAPRICORN : Focus for today should be on changes, work or employment. Unexpected meetings can lead to fresh perspectives regarding your career options. Lucky number: 7 Lucky Colour: Crimson. 
LEO : Financial security, future investments, partnerships and love affairs need to be attended. Your energy will light up any room as soon as you walk in. Lucky number: 15. Lucky colour: Brown. 
AQUARIUS : Other people are the most important aspect of your day today. You will find that even the most challenging task is almost effortless. Lucky number: 4. Lucky colour: Lush green. 
VIRGO : Be prepared for all out combat with people. Even though this is pretty much the opposite of your normal style. Your success will come through deliberate effort. Lucky number: 12. Lucky colour: Sea green. 
PISCES: The slow and steady pace may be something that you are comfortable with, but note that the situations of the day call for something much more dynamic and brave. Lucky number: 16. Lucky Colour: Green.