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Siren of the Sixties
TECH TALK Firangi is
fashionable!
Film & FASHION TAROT TALK
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Dance in her Veins Epitomising the elegance, grace and defining ethos of Odissi, Madhavi Mudgal’s seasoned virtuosity is a foregone conclusion for she is a legend no less.
In the city to perform at a private function being held by eminent art historian Dr B. N. Goswamy, this marvellous lady enthralled with her warm, down-to-earth affability and graceful modesty. “I am deeply honoured to be invited by Dr Goswamy and to be a part of his occasion, an event like this changes the perspective completely.” Growing up with “sanskars” of her family, deeply involved in the propagation of arts—her father, late Professor Vinay Chandra Maudgalya founded the famous Gandharva Mahavidyala in Delhi, one of the country’s most highly reputed institutions teaching classical dance and music—learning dance began at the age of three. “In those days only Bharatnatyam and Kathak were being taught, wandering around the school, seeing the dance forms, learning was only a matter of time which I did till I was 17, holding Kathak performances and absorbing all that I could.” A chance to see Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra, Kumkum Mohanty and Sanjukta Panigrahi perform, she realised there and then that, “the subtle style of Odissi was appropriate to my way of thinking.” The shift happened. Her initial Odissi took place under Guru Hare Krishna Bahera and later she came under the tutelage of the renowned Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra. “He was not so well known then when I started learning under him. When I look back at the revival phase I know he is the real architect. I was very lucky to be with him during this time. He was a natural genius, his facility with rhythm, uncanny precision and perfection are unparalleled.” Madhavi was with him till the end. “He was to go to France for a performance, in fact even that morning he taught his class. He wanted to dance till the end and he did. He was a gotipua, a dancing village boy but look where he reached. His humility and greatness, his grace, it was humbling to know someone like him.” Known to be a ‘thinking artist,’ she believes learning is a continuous process and to master an art takes several lifetimes. What does that mean to her? “It is a long process. I do not know why people think this way but in order to make the style your own, you think. It takes it a step further. Experiences enrich you through learning and imbibing.” Known for taking Odissi to the highest echelons of dance forms, she was also the first artiste to take the form to Pakistan in 1999. “Raza Qazim, a well-known personality from Lahore, basically a lawyer and Iqbal Ahmed, a famous journalist, brought it all together. Qazim has invented a veena and has a large collection of music, he came to Delhi and I met him and he organised it just as I wanted it.” The organisers had a tough time saying no to people wanting to attend the performance. “There was so much warmth extended to us, we had to request the shopkeepers to let us pay, they would not charge us.” Dynamic and elegant with subtle abhinaya and delicate postures, exhibiting brilliant technique and exceptional grace, Madhavi Mudgal is a living exponent of a ‘young’ dance form that witnessed resurgence only fifty years ago.
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Siren of the Sixties
Guru Dutt had cast her in the glam girl role as against the Gulabo, the suffering prostitute, played poignantly by Waheeda Rehman. Mala continued to live up to her sexy image through many a film and in1960, as a five-year-old, I recall an older brother, some 13 years my senior, returning from Kiran cinema all ooh and aah over the ‘gorgeous’ Mala and how he loved her. Later, my brother went onto marry a pretty Nepali girl from Darjeeling. My memories of this much-touted sex symbol are of a different nature. I recall her in weepy ever-suffering roles a la Hariali aur Rastaa where she was constantly playing the good side of the eternal triangle along with baddy Shashikala and helpless Manoj Kumar. These three went on playing the love game right up to Himalaya ki God Mein with famous Kankariya maar ke jagaya… My idea of oomph, was different from that of my brother and his lot. I liked the wide-eyed fringe-wearing Sadhana or the small-waist and big-bottom Asha Parekh. Ironically, in life when whenever the triangle came up for me, I would find myself unwittingly playing Mala while the Shashikalas of the world had all the fun. However, Mala Sinha with her daring image, as daring as one could be in those times, got some unconventional roles in some very good films. She played the unwed mother in Dharamputra and Dhool ka Phool. And in Gumraah she was actually cheating on her husband to see her lover, certainly not acceptable then, and thus the moralistic name. She comes to the City perhaps forty-five years too late but surely there may be many in their Sixties swooning still! —Nirupama Dutt
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From a potter’s wheel to a Swiss roll Basking in the November sun on a cot in his humble abode in Kumhar colony, Vishnu Prajapati recalls the pleasant experiences during his recent trip to Switzerland, “Old people and children used to sit alongside and watch me sculpt these showpieces.” “There are private Indian companies in Switzerland who organise fairs and invite Indian craftsmen to demonstrate their skills and exhibit their art. There is a festive atmosphere there in which various musicians and artistes perform,” he adds. He shot into the limelight during the Mohali cricket test match between India and Pakistan in March 2005 when he made a 21-foot cricket bat to present to the winner. The match ended in a draw but the bat still stands tall like a beacon at Vishnu’s residence. From a humble beginning where he worked as a vegetable seller and a labourer, he got in touch with the soil when he joined a pot-making factory in Nayagaon. “I used to make clay for the pots and then went on to making pots,” he recalls. But his burning desire was to create showpieces and a brief stint of providing clay for College of Art students triggered off this unbroken spell of creativity. For this self-trained artiste, the big day came when he was declared the “Best Craftsman of Chandigarh” in 1993. He has participated in exhibitions and demonstrations in Surajkund, Jaipur, Agra and Hyderabad. He has made a mural and has “worked on” 10,000 square feet at the Haryana Tourism hotel in Rai, Sonepat district. For about a year-and-a-half, he made decorative pots, statues and different showpieces for a company in the USA. For this job, he trained the people in his neighbourhood and gave them employment. “Most of the decorative pieces available at the colony are not made here. They are brought from other places. Only pots are made here,” he clarifies. His mediums of expression include pottery, papier-mache, plaster of Paris, fibre, polystone, statues of cement and tiles bearing Harappan motifs. He guides many Art students at his residence and imparts training to the students of three schools—two in Himachal Pradesh and one in Kharar. He went to Switzerland with “a truck full” of his work and spent about three months exhibiting his art and mesmerising the audience in various cities there. “My next assignment is to make pieces with a Tibetan and Chinese influence. I have an order of as many as 5,000 pieces,” says Vishnu. He is scheduled to go back to Switzerland in April and November next year.
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TECH TALK
We were an inseparable group of four friends in school who always hung around together. As we all went to different colleges in different cities, we lost touch with each other. Over the years, I would often wonder about my childhood friends, where they would be, what they might look like now and if they would remember me too. I not only got all my answers but also found my lost friends with the help of technology! So, all of you who’ve ever wondered about the whereabouts of your friends, find out now. Technology can help you re-unite with old friends and acquaintances from all over the world. Re-discover the people of your youth by simply logging on to the Internet. There are numerous websites on the World Wide Web that re-unite old friends from school/college etc. One can sign up on any of these websites, mostly free of charge and begin their search. There are some that also offer different membership levels where one can view and upload photographs and other details. You can register yourself under the institutes that you’ve attended. The contact details for each person are mentioned only if they wish to reveal them along with details like birthdays, current location, marital status etc. Your searches can be country, state, institute or company based. The easiest way to search is by typing in your friends’ name in the search boxes embedded within these websites. One can also search for their school/college and see the people registered under each batch. In fact, after watching the movie ‘There’s something about Mary’ the other day, I felt that more than half of Ted Stroehmann’s (Ben Stiller) problems in the movie could have been solved had he simply bothered to look on www.classmates.com or www.batchmates.com and any of the hundreds of similar websites and search engines that re-unite old school and college friends! Yes, you don’t really need to hire a detective like Ben Stiller did to hunt for his high school sweetheart Mary Jensen (Cameron Diaz). All you need to do is grab a cuppa coffee or tea, if you prefer, get cozy and log on to the net. So, for those who’ve ever wondered about their school-time crushes, old pals, and whether that nerd from school really managed to become a scientist, here’s your chance to find out. Well, that’s technology for you. The next time you get nostalgic on listening to Brian Adams ‘Summer of ‘69, you know what have to do to find your lost friends! Courtesy: Atul Gupta, CEO, Red Alkemi
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Firangi is
fashionable!
This
million-dollar question has mystified men since times immemorial. And
women worldwide wonder if they’ll ever get to solve this puzzle. Fashion
gurus, film producers and feminine beauties are an all-time curious to
find out-What, after all, is it that a man likes in a woman?’ And for
not letting this curiosity kill the cat (city cats, do we say?), lets
delve deep into the hearts of some city people to unearth the magical
traits in a woman that would woo her man. Perfectly arched eyebrows, huge kohl-rimmed eyes, chubby cheeks, flower bud lips and voluptuous figures. Seems very much like a 70’s South Indian heroine’s description. But do any of these traits still find favour with the city youngsters? “Of course not” asserts Sahil Grover, an Engineering student, “The wide structured Asha Parekh with fluttering eyelashes and heavily made up eyes is no longer a beauty icon. What is in nowadays is the Hollywood concept of beauty. A Barbie doll look sporting blonde streaks, coloured contact lenses, plastic smiles and gym-toned bodies is the current rage. Affirms beauty expert Indira Ahluwalia, “Girls today no longer believe that beauty is a God given gift which only a few possess. They believe in being beautiful themselves by donning the fashionable dresses, going in for cosmetic surgery (for that oh so perfect face), using heavy make-up and lavishly using foreign cosmetics.” Opines Shreya, a student of the Law Department at the Panjab University “Today, cosmetics like glossy lipsticks, eye-make-ups, fancy nail enamels and hair gels are selling like hot cakes with most college girls. Earlier, expensive foreign cosmetic brands catered only to high-end consumer bracket. But now, even middle class girls are going for them. This shows how young girls are going in more and more for a made-up look.” Explains Alka Grover, a teacher at Career Launcher, Sector 8, “The trendsetters for beauty standards have always been Bollywood stars. Earlier, their beauty was more Indianised and less made up. But today, be it Aishwaria Rai, Mallika Sherawat or Sushmita Sen, all of them are undergoing an image makeover to grab Hollywood movies. Our heroines are eyeing a the Western audiences now and so turning look-alikes of Firangi lasses.” Laments homemaker Sunita Chahar, “Today, most youngsters lay a lot of emphasis on being well-groomed. They go in for foreign brands, expensive cosmetics, fancy haircuts and what not. But unless your eyes exuberate warmth and confidence, all this is fake according to me.’ Yes, Firangi is fake for many, especially when it comes to looks. “My daughter looked so beautiful with those long jet black hair that she inherited from me. But one day, she just came back from college looking like a mundu (male servant), with terribly short hair coloured golden brown.” narrates Kavita Sahi, an angry mom who confesses spending many sleepless nights post her daughter’s weird haircut. But then there are others like Archana who are more tolerant about the Firangi trend. “Excess of everything is bad, I agree. But Indianness is not just in wearing Indian clothes. It’s in upholding our values and morals. And if it could be done even by sporting red or for that matter golden hair and blue lenses, what’s the problem?” she laughs. Chirps Rahul Vaid, an MBA aspirant presently staying at a PG in Chandigarh, “A pure blend of funky and folk, that’s what we can call the looks that are in today. Tattoos dancing on pierced belles and arms, Westernised attires and cheeks shining with shimmery blush-that’s the Gen-x party animal, looking very much like her western counterpart. So, Firangi is the current fashion mantra. No wonder, the youngsters are playing with the Indian and Western fusion with a streak of creative insanity. Only delicately Indian is no longer beautiful. Daring and powerful European dazzles too. The outlandish Western fashion is being clubbed breathtakingly with awesome Indian styles. And why not, when it makes a forget-me-not statement!
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Cool dude to sizzle on screen The perfectionist who believes in doing everything right; the cool collegian with his cool mantra of simplicity that exudes sophistication. He is Krish Oberoi, one of the male leads in Sahara One Television’s upcoming show ‘Saath Rahega Always’. A wannabe Air Force officer, Krish is a fitness freak—very cautious about his diet, refraining from all kinds of tempting junk food and religiously following his early morning jogging ritual. But like many other youngsters, he cannot resist his brewing cup of coffee! Levelheaded and staunch, yet soft-spoken, Krish truly is the winner in the vote of best debaters. With a class of his own that catches every eye, the positivity in this young boy grooming to be a gentleman comes across to all the people he encounters. He is blessed with the talent to be able to make quick decisions. He can well be considered as the boy-next-door, who is conscious of himself and has an independent attitude of his own. Trendy bikes and fancy wrist watches is all that Krish is truly passionate about. He doesn’t think twice to change his bikes to get the latest ones; he will also not discard his old wristwatches for the new ones that increasingly pile in his cupboard. With a collection of a good number of watches, Krish is careful about preserving them. After all, he is the perfectionist! So be it his bikes or watches or friends, he can truly say to all of them with great conviction, ‘Saath Rahega Always’. Excerpts from an interview with Karan Rai who plays Krish Oberoi in the serial How did you come across bagging the role of Krish Oberoi in ‘Saath Rahega Always’? I have been doing some ramp modelling and some ad films for quite some time now. My big break came in 2003 when I got to do the Nokia CDMA ad. There was no looking back since then. I also did a telefilm, and that is how my photographs reached the casting team of ‘Saath Rahega Always’ and I was called in for the auditions. They instantly favored me and I had a gut feeling that I’d bag the role of Krish. My gut feeling was true and here I am! Please elaborate on your role as Krish. Krish is the perfectionist who believes in doing everything right; the cool collegian with his cool mantra of simplicity that will bring about sophistication. He is very levelheaded and very ambitious. What kind of special preparation you had to undergo to fit into the role? Krish is my duplicate. I tend to be aggressive and very frank with all that I have to tell anyone and so is Krish. So I guess on those lines I did not have to do any hard work to be Krish. I just had to be myself. Is this your first acting experience? Why did you choose to debut with ‘Saath Rahega Always for your acting career? ‘Saath Rahega Always’ is the show that I can absolutely relate to. I’ve been in college and really miss those days of bunking lectures, giving proxy attendance, preparing last minute for the exams, and above all, chasing girls .But don’t get me wrong. I was a studious guy in college. Memories of college flash in my mind and I guess that was the reason why I instantly took the offer to be a part of this college-like crew. How was your experience working with the crew? It was simply awesome! It was a new thrill to get back and sit on the benches. When in college I was more interested to come out of it and make my own living, but I know now that those were the days to be cherished the most. It’s been therefore a great time being back to class again with ‘Saath Rahega Always’. I remember the days we spent flirting with girls, bunking lectures and talking behind the teacher’s back and all of that has been revived again. What are the things you are most passionate about? Are you passionate about bikes and wristwatches in your real life too? Being an engineer, I am a real techie guy who wants to analyse everything. I love to fiddle around gadgets and am very passionate about them. Who is your role model? Which actor inspires you the most and why? I look up to Amitabh Bachchan and Naseeruddin Shah—Amitabh Bachchan for all that he has managed to achieve and Naseeruddin Shah who cannot be replicated by anyone. His acting skills are simple awesome! After a long day of facing the camera, what is your mantra for chilling out? Well, it has to be sleeping! I am not the guy who loves to party a lot but I love to be with my family and friends. They are my support system and I cannot do without them. It’s nice to have good people around with whom time spent can be considered quality time.
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Art runs in the family Sohis, the five-member artist family in Sector 20, enjoys being together in art. Interestingly, Ajay Sohi, his wife, Sudha, 17- year- old Neha, 14-year-old Shilpa and five-year-old Shivansh share this magnificent obsession with painting. On a visit to their house, one sees well-decorated rooms. Nature is painted large on all the walls. There are landscapes, pots, animal drawings and what not. Recalling his maiden attempt at painting, Ajay, a Central Government schoolteacher, says that it was in the year 1981 when he had got his first-ever paintings ready and from the beginning, he was in madly in love with nature. Despite the eight- hour job in the school, the rest of the hours were never spent for socialising or relaxing but thinking and doing art. He says it normally takes three months to complete one painting and so he starts three to four paintings simultaneously. Sudha, a Punjab Government employee, beams, “Earlier, I did not have the confidence to work independently but now I have learnt to work on my own and friends are appreciating my work.” Neha Sohi, a B.Com student in Government College, Sector 46, says: “Instead of just wasting time on television or otherwise, I decided to join Papa and Mama in art. Shilpa, a class IX student in Manav Mangal School, Sector 21, echoes the words of her older sister. “I feel very satisfied when I complete a painting. I have won painting competitions in the school also.” Five-year-old Shivansh joins his family saying: “Uncle, I too have made a painting and look, it is hanging in the dining room. The Sohi family is now working hard for their exhibition to be held in May next year at the IndusInd Bank gallery.
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Auld lang syne at Patiala There is a time to meet and then there is a time to part but very often only to meet again. Thus the practice to sing at farewells the old Scottish number, re-written by Robert Burns: “Should old acquaintance be forgot and never be brought to mind, For it’s the Auld lang syne, my friends…” The truth, however, is that old acquaintance is rarely if ever forgotten. And some of the happiest moments are those when old friends meet again. This is what is happening at Punjabi University with the annual get-together of the alumni association formed a last years. Jaswinder Singh, professor in charge of the association, says: “The response has been tremendous and our members are growing. Such associations help in keeping social relationships and ties of the youth.” Journalist Chanchal Manohar Singh, who has played a key role in the setting up of the association recalls: “It was very interesting when senior people recalled their university days. For instance senior civil servant D.S. Guru recalled the days of longing for special food in the university hostel. Once a week they would get matar-paneer and he would save the piece of panir till the very end and it would be delicious. He added that there was paneer for the asking now but it did not taste as good as it did in the old days.” Many celebrated writers like Dalip Kaur Tiwana, Surjit Patar and other people on the top rung in their respective careers were once students of this university. Last year, Patar, when asked to recall his university days, got up and recited a couplet that brought a tear to many an eye: Chal Patar hun labhan chaliye bhulian hoyian thhavan/ Kithe kithe chhad aaye haan anlikhian kavitavan. University days are days of innocence, stirring of passionate love and many ideals. Much gets lost in the routine of latter life but there is much that stays. “It is a moment of nostalgia and gratitude when we meet. This association gives us a chance to meet again, share the journeys of our lives and also acknowledge the debt that we owe to our alma mater,” adds Jaswinder.
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Snug in your Rug With proper regular care, you can extend the life of your rugs and carpets whilst retaining its original appearance.
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Teri Hatcher sues British tabloid Teri
Hatcher may be a ‘Desperate Housewife’ in front of the camera, but
off-screen if somebody doubts her character, she becomes very very angry.
The actress is suing the British tabloid ‘Daily Sport’ for claming
that she had regular sex romps in a Vanagon. “The tabloid falsely alleged that she
engages in sex romps on a regular basis with a series of men in a VW van
parked outside her L.A. home for this purpose,” read a statement issued
by Hatcher’s solicitor Schillings. Hatcher, who is to be honored as 2005 World Actress of the Year at the second annual Women’s World Awards for her role as single mom Susan Mayer on ‘Desperate Housewives’, claimed extensive damage was done after these allegations were reprinted and repeated extensively in several countries.
— ANI Simpsons part of satellite navigation system Homer Simpson, the patriarch of the TV cartoon family “The Simpsons”, will soon be telling drivers if they’re
going the right way or the wrong, as part of a new satellite navigation system to be launched next year.
The system, ‘Stars in your cars’, has Homer groaning a “D’oh” in commiseration, whenever drivers take a wrong turn. It also includes the cartoon character’s son Bart’s cheeky quip of “Don’t have a cow, man”, when people get too stressed while driving.
— ANI Madonna’s new album a chart buster
Baby first, wedding later for Tom, Katie Normally people wed and then plan to have babies, but for Tom Crusie and Katie Holmes it will be a baby first, and then they will plan for their wedding.
The ‘Mission Impossible’ star has told a US show that they are planning a wedding ceremony for next summer or early autumn, but will wait for their baby before making marriage plans, reports Contact music.
Cruise also said that he had bought his own sonogram machine so that he could follow the baby’s progress. He plans to donate the high-tech hospital equipment to an undisclosed maternity ward.
— ANI
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TAROT TALK
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One of the most memorable love duets sung by Mohammad Rafi and Geeta Dutt was picturised on Mala Sinha and Guru Dutt. Waltzing in a dream sequence of sorts— the guy asks: Ham aap ki ankhon mein iss dil ko basa dein to? La belle dame sans mercy retorts: Ham mood ke palkon ko iss dil ko saza dein to? One is talking, of course, of vintage Pyaasa times dating back to 1957..jpg)
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Grammy award winning artist, Madonna, has wiped the floor clean with her new album, “Confessions on a Dancefloor”, after it managed to capture the top spot in 25 countries, including the U.K., Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Australia, and Israel.
The singer topped the American music charts, selliing 350,00 copies in its debut week, according to Nielson Soundscan figures, and is said to have sold 4 million copies worldwide, according to Warner Bros. Records.
According to E!online, the singer managed to beat ‘American Idol’ winner, Carrie Underwood, who landed at the number two spot, and also this year’s American
Music Award winner for the ‘Soul- R&B’ category, Mariah Carey, who claimed the number four position with her album, “The Emancipation of Mimi: Ultra Platinum Edition”.
— ANI.jpg)
ARIES : People who want to do things their way seem to pull the rug out from under you. Showing your leadership abilities will open new doors. Lucky number: 12. Lucky colour: White.
LIBRA : Secrecy is the order of the day. Focus more of your attention on your own plight before trying to solve everyone else’s. Adopt a diplomatic approach. Lucky number: 12. Lucky colour: Yellow.
TAURUS :
Others will be drawn to you because of the confidence you display, whether at work or in a social situation. There is no harmony in love life. Lucky number: 4. Lucky colour: Peacock green.
SCORPIO:
Remember, if you are going to make sacrifices, make sure they are worthwhile. You resolve business and professional matters effortlessly with expertise. Lucky number: 3 Lucky colour: Royal blue.
GEMINI : You have a new vision about partnerships and work situations. Over sensitivity and childish impulses are stronger than usual. Lucky number: 7. Lucky colour: Pomegranate red.
SAGITTARIUS : A disciplined approach to work and health, is especially important. Do not put too much trust in anyone you deal with this afternoon. Lucky number: 9. Lucky colour: Golden yellow.
CANCER : “ The Princes of Cups” infuses you a romantic and dreamy moments. Too many responsibilities will make you question your lifestyle. Keep your diary open. Lucky number: 11. Lucky Colour: Blonde.
CAPRICORN :
Money matters and romantic relationships are highly emotional. You might even spot a prospective new partner. Various celestial challenges on the cards. Lucky number 20. Good colour Crimson.
LEO :
A sudden change of attitude may get you out of a rut and put you in a powerful position. On the professional scene, you will make very good profit in your business. Lucky number: 18. Lucky Colour: Pink.
AQUARIUS : A friend may know of someone who would be the perfect match for you. You may look desperate, but try asking around to see who is available. Lucky number: 7 Lucky colour: Turquoise.
VIRGO : You will be alert and on your toes now. Nervousness or irritability due to aggravations and the stress of increased demands at work is possible. Lucky number 1. Lucky colour silver
grey.
PISCES: A test of faith is in the works now. Go for a secret pleasure and romance. Be careful to spontaneous invitations. Health and fitness routine should not be abandoned . Lucky number:17 Lucky colour: Golden.