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Call of the
Chrysanthemums Pain, poetry and passion
Brands sell like hot cakes Birds of the Night green space YOUTH Speak Theatre’s own Homegrown DJ NEW RELEASES Film & FASHION
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Kitty parties are not the cup of tea of professional women but they wouldn’t mind partying to celebrate the season of flowers. Doctors, dentists, professors and journalists have joyously been a part of the chrysanthemum celebration in town for the past decade and a half, reports
Nirupama Dutt
Wednesday evening, one was suddenly reminded of a couplet by Makhdoom:
Phir chali raat baat phoolon ki/ Raat hai ya barat phoolon ki. The reason for this flowery recall was a garden party held in the Mansa Devi Complex to celebrate the blooming chrysanthemums on the last day of November. The host was Gunita Gill, a pathologist who put in long years in the General Hospital, Sector 16, and then took early retirement to devote herself to her two passions other than medicine: gardening and writing. Gunita, who has been holding this do every November for the past 15 years, says: “I grew up in a large and rambling home in Preetnagar near Amritsar. There were flowers, plants, trees and wheat fields all around. But when I made my own home with my doctor husband Amod Gupta, we lived in a flat for many years.” Of course, the balcony of her Sector 24 Officer Apartments as well as the corridors outside had her pots. But her real catharsis as a gardening lover came when Amod and she moved to a house with a garden in the same sector. Gunita’s craze for the chrysanthemum flower was fully realised here. “The first season when the chrysanthemums started blooming, I was so thrilled that I decided to share the joy with my female friends, many were doctors and others professors, psychologists and journalists. So I decided to have a little party in the open among the flowers,” recalls Gunita. The get-together was such a success that friends started waiting for it the next year. This celebration of the chrysanthemums moved with Gunita to the Mansa Devi Complex where Gunita and Amod built their own home. So the annual do completed a decade in Sector 24 and now five years in their new home. The time for the party is four in the afternoon so that the guests can have a good look at the flowers. Gunita proudly points out her favourites, “That red one there with the yellow center is called Mischievous Boy. That big white one is the Autumn King and my dear one here is Casa Granda. These two there are called Gandhi and Kasturba.” Gunita has over 60 varieties of chrysanthemums in her garden and she says that this flower is very hard to grow as the mortality rate is very high and more so among the special exotic varieties. So the ladies move through the party, talking flowers and catching up with other things. It is an occasion to turn out in their best silks and one guest was late because she had sent her silk Dupatta for block printing and it was yet to come. No one misses this celebration with the flowers and some even ask for an invitation if the host has forgotten to call them up. It is an all-girl affair and Amod walked in it the tail-end of the party when the ladies were having their fill of bakes and fries and the special lemon and chocolate cakes from Monica’s. The friends leave only to know that they will be together again next year at the call of the chrysanthemums. It’s a fair call, a happy call that cannot be denied.
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They call him Pakistan’s Shiv Kumar Batalvi but he would rather be known as Afzal Saahir, who has interpreted pain his own way
THERE is something very endearing about Afzal Saahir, Lahore’s young poet who is in town with his fine repertoire of Punjabi poetry. Endearing and vulnerable, one is at once protective about him and a little afraid, for poets such as him have had the going tough in an essentially prosaic world. It is not uncommon for Indian hosts to introduce him as ‘Pakistan’s Batalvi.’ However, charming Saahir is quick to put things right his own mellow way, “Babeo! Na. I am an admirer of Batalvi who was one of the best poets the two Punjabs have seen but I would be rather known as Afzal Saahir for that’s who I am.” He goes onto explain that while Batalvi romanticised pain, he has endeavoured to look pain in the eye. “Pain for me is not an individual experience, I speak of the pain of an entire populace. It is not I but us who are undergoing the pain and this pain is inflicted on humanity by vested interests and not a divine ordinance,” says Saahir. Saahir was born in Faisalabad and there he started writing poetry . “I started writing in Urdu but soon I moved to Punjabi, influenced as I was by the folk poetry sung by my mother and folk legends told by my father,” he says. His parents belonged to the Hoshiarpur district. His mother was from Jandi and his father from Chabewal. The talk of Partition makes this sensitive poet sad, “My parents were married just a month before the Partition. She was away on muklava when the riots broke out. My parents saw each other the first time in a refugee camp. My mother would tell us how the hen had just laid the eggs and the atta had been kneaded for lunch the day they fled their village.” After school, he came to Lahore to join college and started editing various Punjabi magazines and journals, besides making a place for himself as a poet to look forward to. True enough, he proved himself and has the reputation for looting the mushaira and well loved in both Punjabs even before his book is out. The name of his first anthology to be released early next year is ‘Peedhan Vikane Aayian’. In translation it would mean — Pain is up for sale. And thus he says:: Sajjan ajj peedhan vikane aayian/ Kisse na hass kjarai bohni kisse na jholi payian. Saahir is in India the third time and this trip he came as delegate to the Sajjaad Zaheer Centenary celebrations early this month in Allahabad and then for the IPTA meet in Lucknow. From there to Delhi and now two days in Chandigarh and Amritsar before his return. What is he taking back with him? A lot of pleasant memories and something very precious. Saahir tells, “When I went to meet Imroz, Amrita Pritam’s companion, he gave me three dozen cigarettes that Amrita had left behind. I promised him that I would smoke them when I write poems.” Thus the puff of poetry travels from Delhi to Lahore. — N.D.
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Brands sell like hot cakes
ASK a twenty something what a shopping spree is and pops out the instant answer—bustling through the brand bristling bazaars. Yes, the brand consciousness has arrived, so to say, in a big way. And especially when it comes to the hip and happening city beautiful, the chic youngsters are clamouring for nothing less than the top-notch brands. But what are the brands making waves in our wonderful city? Let’s peep inside the wardrobes of some city youngsters to find out. Branded Brew When youngsters abound, can hangouts be far behind? And so, we have the city’s Gen X voting vigorously for Barista and Café Coffee Day. “Cafes represent a trendy, up market, anytime yet mid-priced option unlike restaurants which are more expensive and just meant for lunches and dinners.” Says Supriya Dixit , presently doing Hospitality Management from Dehradun. She goes on to add, “Though my gang enjoys coffee anywhere anytime, but Barista obviously remains the first preference. It’s got the best taste, no doubt. “Moreover, if you’re having coffee at Barista or Café Coffee Day, it somehow sounds more classy than having it at a normal restaurant.” Smiles this young girl who’s all for Benetton T-shirts and Pepe jeans. Now here’s a surprise. Despite the cosmetic stores shelves being crowded with so many international brands, the skincare market in the city is dominated by our desi ‘Fair and lovely’. Hindustan Lever’s most powerful and dominating brand, Fair and Lovely has moved quickly to occupy a wider skin care territory. “And most girls are using these products to get that envious gorapan and nikhar” beams Dr Kiran, a hostel warden. Quirps Raminder Gill, a Call Centre professional, “ I think it’s more about the Indian obsession for fairness. All my hostler friends at PU used Fair and Lovely and seems like the boys too, have joined the bandwagon!” Someone rightly said that the love for denim jeans runs in the human genes. What else would explain this garment being the universal favourite? And it’s because of such universal craze for jeans that the brand badshas are targeting this segment. “Shoes, handbags, scarfs, shirts and sweaters are all branded today. But jeans is one garment available in almost all big brands.” Says Sandeep Buddhiraja, a bank professional strolling through sector 17 with his wife Pooja. Adds Kanika, an aspiring designer, “While Levis , Madame and Pepe remain favourites with most teenagers, Tommy Hilfiger is fancied by the Richey rich! At home with fashion With the Chandigarians getting more tasteful and fashionable, style is not just confined to their wardrobes. Rather, it manifests in every aspect of their lives, especially in the four walls of their home. And so enter the aspirational lifestyle brands like Fab India, Home Store, Ebony, Buyer’s Den, Bombay Dying and the gang which are hot faves in the city. Going for a branded home furnishing product gives you a certain confidence about their trustworthy quality. Sip n Bite Don’t feel like cooking? Worry not. You could choose instead a quick grab of an all veg avatar of Dominos Pizza, Mc Donald’s burger, a Cappuccino from Mr. Beans and a Baskin Robbins ice cream as your dinner and dessert. I have a group of five friends and we love to sit at Ruby Tuesday. The reason, of, course, is the warm ambience. But I must admit that it was the fascination about the brand name that initially took us to the place.” Indeed,
a locally made product, sprouting from a secluded crook or corner of the city no longer sells. What is alluring countless customers today is the promise of best quality, smart style, perfect packaging and instant empowerment. Of course, big brands are offering such a perfect promise, wooing consumers worldwide. And when the whole world seems to be going berserk over big brands, can Chandigarians be anything but far behind?
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What’s now beckoning the city denizens to drive down to the FR multiplex is its new restro-bar Athena. Anandita Gupta lounges around to get the feel
IT has breezed the city beautiful as a refreshing whiff of nightlife. With considerable élan, it craves to break away clichés and redefine class. Massive glass windows overlooking the busy city streets, mesmerising music, melt-in-the-mouth delicacies and a magical ambience (with deliciously intimate lighting)—seems like the distancing from daily monotony is complete. For, here’s a new bar lounge in the City— Athena. A private retreat though, it means, at once, different things to different people. Happy and warm for some, relaxing and rejuvenating for others and even noisy, energised, energetic for many. Perched high on the fourth floor of the city’s first Multiplex Fun Rupublic, this lifestyle lounge bar is a joint venture of the Chateau Indage group and Dhillon group. After rocking Mumbai, Delhi, Pune and Bangalore, this restaurant lounge bar has rocked (read formally been launched at) Chandigarh on November 30. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the huge crowds thronging Fun Republic and the humdrum of the movie halls, the place promises luxurious relaxation. The lounge strikes you as a long horizontal tube like stretch extending 36 feet. Opines Dhillon, owner, “ Athena is the City’s longest bar. With the IT park coming in the city, we felt the night life culture here needs to grow and so conceptualized Athena. As one enters, the immediate effect is of warmth and intimacy. The postmodern décor and jazzy interiors speak of a certain understated elegance. And after one sits comfortably on those high-backed chairs or plush sofas, the gaze moves on to those huge glass windows, which offer an uninterrupted view of the life on the street outside. Of course, one is welcome to enjoy the breathtaking street view. If only, however, one could tear oneself away from the view inside. The glasses clink delightfully, brimming with life, vigour and pulsating beats. That surely describes the trendy, well-stocked bar at Athena. One is almost goaded into submitting to the spell of this bar, that offers the most diverse bar menu in town. Smiles Delhiite Shiven, the bar captain for the night “We are offering the most expensive wines and exclusive cocktails. The general accent of our food is towards a flexible degree of innovation. So we specialise in Continental, Italian and Mediterranean snacks, and would be introducing a new menu every Saturday.” And for all those movers and shakers who wanna groove, there’s an in-house DJ Bhavna. All put together, the place has a certain feel — not too elusive, yet exotic. It allows you your space without striking an odd note and makes you a part of happening circles without intruding upon your privacy. For sure, it’s a spell bounding haven that soaks the senses in sheer luxury!
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green space The very fact that plants are indoors—in an apartment—means that they are not in a natural, open environment. Home surroundings have to suit each plant’s temperament and physical needs. Winter in the northern plains can be very biting and acute. Most apartments use heaters, radiators and hot air convectors. The ambient air becomes desert dry. Leaf edges turn yellow. Leaf tips shrivel and become brown. Buds and flowers wilt and fall. To avoid this, humidity levels in a room which has potted plants, should be between 40 per cent and 60 per cent. A cheap hygro-meter will keep you informed of this. Some table or wall clocks have this meter installed in them. Remember those dry, hacking winter coughs we all dread? Humidity from your plants will help in keeping these away. Make groups of plants in 2 inch high trays containing gravel and water. The liquid should not cover the gravel but be under it. A micro-climate is created around the plants which benefit from the moisture each one emits. Use a multi-purpose spraying can to spray the leaves with warm (not hot) water. However avoid moisturising plants which have fuzzy, hairy leaves like gloxinia and African violets which have tubers, are soft and can rot. Keep a watch on that hygro-meter. Too much humidity will bring on grey mould on leaves and patches of rot on stems. A neem oil solution, or a repellant containing copper fungicide, can be sprayed on affected plants. Too little humidity will encourage spider mites. Remember to pinch off the yellow and brown leaves and the wilted buds. Most indoor plants are attacked by mealy bugs, aphids, scales, spider mites, thrips and fungus. The bugs suck nutrients from plants and kill them. Mealy bugs are white and cottony. Scales are like small, brown, non-moving dots. Aphids are brownish green and thrips are a transluscent green. Ladybirds are sworn enemies of aphids but do not like being indoors. Therefore all attackers will have to be tackled with Endosulphin 18 per cent EC or Bifenthrin. Take the plants outside and spray them. Maggots and grubs attack roots. They are the larvae of beetles and need to have the same insecticide dug into the soil. The initial soil treatment with neem khali is a deterrent too.
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YOUTH Speak
— Deepinder S. Chahal Young and bubbling with creative vibes? Have something to say? Well, send your views on something you feel strongly about to lifestyle@tribunemail.com or Lifestyle, The Tribune, Sector 29-C Chandigarh. The best will find place in Lifestyle.
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Theatre’s own
FOR Rajesh Kumar, a second year student of the Indian Theatre Department, theatre is not a stepping-stone to reach the stardom. Do not dismiss him as just another student, steeped into ideology. For this 26-year-old from Delhi has already established himself as a stage artiste, both as an actor and playwright. It was the 15 years of accumulated experience of acting in Ram Leela in Delhi, which drove Rajesh to enrol for a formal degree. But degree or not, he is here to stay. Besides acting in a host of plays and winning awards for acting during his college days, Rajesh has acted in tele-films and other programmes. “Young artistes join theatre so that they get noticed by some film personality and gets a break in some movie. But my first and only love is theatre and will always remain so,” says Rajesh. What about the common notion that stage artistes have to starve? “It is true that one needs money for those fancy plays. But what one really needs for theatre are actors and an audience. Against those fancy sets and hi-tech plays, alternative theatre like street plays are thriving in India, says the actor with conviction. So besides grooming himself as an actor, director and writer, Rajesh is also learning about set designing. “The designing part is important, at least for the low-budget producer-directors like us. With the government giving patronage to only to those established artistes, we people can survive only by being innovative in set designing,” he concludes the interview with an optimistic note.
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Homegrown DJ Life is a party so party hard, believes DJ Bhavna Singh who rolls out the music at Athena Meet Bhavna Singh, all of 22. She has truly proved her mantle at an age when a girl is literally on the crossroads deciding between a career or a marriage. But Bhavna had decided what she wanted to do four years back. She wanted her passion, to become her strength. To turn an interest into something meaningful and serious, is what we call work but for her, it’s fun all the way. She has always tried to strike a perfect balance between her studies and her work, without compromising on either. This, according to her,would not have been possible without the unconditional support from her family. Today, a second-year student of Masters in Psychology, Punjab University, Bhavna started from playing for a friend’s party on her computer where she realised her talent, her enthusiasm as well as the limitations. After this, there was no looking back for this young lass who then made a speedy progress to a DJ console. Along with playing for private parties, today this go-getter has Athena in her kitty. Athena, as we all know, is as big as it gets. It certainly can be included in the biggest brand list in India. Our DJ opines, “Athena has the most conducive environment and has an excellent work culture. It just can’t get better for me!” The music played at Athena caters to all tastes but our DJ’s favourites are Hip-Hop and the latest Hindi and Punjabi remixes. Bhavna says: “Life is a party, God is a DJ, Party hard, not hardly.”
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NEW RELEASES Apharan Prakash Jha comes up with yet another hard-hitting film ‘Apharan’ starring Ajay Devgan, Nana Patekar, Bipasha Basu, Mohan Agashe, Yashpal Sharma, Mukesh Tiwari, Anoop Soni and Akhilendra Mishra. “Apharan” is set against the back drop of a thriving kidnapping industry in Bihar. This is his attempt to show the spinelessness and helplessness of society whose soul has been abducted. After the critically acclaimed ‘‘Gangajal’’, filmmaker Prakash Jha promises something different in “Apharan”. This film brings together Ajay Devgan and Nana Patekar after ‘‘Bhoot’’. Ajay plays the character of a man burdened by expectations. Nana Patekar is a political leader who runs a parallel government. It is not merely the story of kidnapping of human beings for mercenary purpose.The film opens today at Piccadily, Fun Republic and Suraj, Panchkula. Home Delivery
Percept Pictures and SaharaOne Motion pictures presentation “Home Delivery” is a comedy directed by Sujoy Ghosh. A day in the life of a pizza delivery man is the subject of the multistarrer which stars Vivek Oberoi, Mahima Chaudhary, Ayesha Takia and Boman Isani. The film promises to be a whacky urban comedy with a message. It is a story about two people and how one incident in their life changes them. The film also has Karan Johar, Aman Verma and Juhi Chalwa in special appearance. Music is by the duo Vishal-Shekhar. The film opens at Batra and Fun Republic today. Mr Ya Miss
Actress Antara Mali, who excelled in “Mein Madhuri Dixit Ban na Chahti Hoon” has pinned high hopes on her debut directorial venture “Mr Ya Miss”. Trade pundits predict it to be a comedy of errors that stars Antara Mali, Aftab Shivdasani and Riteish Deshmukh. The film open today at Neelam and Fun Republic.
— DP
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Film & FASHION
ACTOR Daniel Radcliffe is famous the world over as the boy-wizard ‘Harry Potter’, but the actor revealed that while filming a movie in Australia, fans of the hit trilogy “The Lord of the Rings”, recently mistook him to be actor Elijah Wood. However, Radcliffe is not complaining, for he considers it a compliment to be compared to the good-looking Wood. “So often people shout out, ‘Hey Frodo!’ as they think I’m Elija - who frankly is a very good-looking guy so I take it as a compliment,” Femalefirst quoted him, as saying. The actor also owned up to the fact that on occasions, he had even signed autographs pretending to be the actor, for he didn’t want to be slighted. “I admit when a couple of people have put autograph books under my nose I’ve signed them, ‘Much love Elijah Wood’. It would be a bit deflating for me if I told the truth and they said, ‘Don’t bother signing it then’”.
— ANI Art Director’s Guild to honour Spielberg “Jurrasic Park” director, Steven Spielberg, is to be honoured with the coveted ‘Outstanding Contribution to Cinematic Imagery’ Award at the annual Art Director’s Guild award function to be held in Beverly Hills next year. According to Contactmusic, the Oscar winning director, who has given the world movies such as ‘Schindler’s List’, ‘E.T’ and ‘Jurassic Park’, among countless others, will be presented with the prestigious award which is given to an individual whose work in the film industry has changed and enhanced the visual aspects of the cinematic experience for movie goers. Previous winners of the award include Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood, Frank Oz and Norman Jewison.
— ANI
Halle Berry vows not to remarry! Halle Berry’s memories of her two failed marriages are so bitter that she has vowed never to marry again. The ‘Catwoman’ actress, who tied the knot with David Justice in 1992 and with Eric Benet in 2001, said that marriage was of no value to her. “After two failures, I won’t marry again. Putting on that dress and walking down the aisle is of no value to me,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying. Berry’s both relationships lasted just four years and ended in divorce. — ANI Bond’s theme music As soon as you hear ‘dum de-de dum dum dum’, you get to know that it is James Bond’s theme music, but did you know that the tune was originally written for a Bollywood flick? Composer Monty Norman revealed that he had composed the tune for a musical version of V. S. Naipaul’s novel ‘A House for Mr. Biswas’, but the project fell through and he was hired to compose the music for 1961 bond film ‘Dr No.’ “When I was approached to write the music to Dr No, I split up the notes and the tune took on a more sinister sound. The rest of the melody followed almost naturally,” Contactmusic quoted Norman as saying. The original, called ‘Good Sign, Bad Sign’, will feature on Norman’s new album ‘Completing The Circle’.
— ANI Neil prefers pens to computers! Singer Neal Diamond has revealed that in the age of high speed technology, he still sticks to the old writing faithful pen and paper when it comes to writing his songs because he just doesn’t trust computers. The singer said that he was so fascinated with computers that when he bought his first one, he started writing his autobiography. However, he learnt his lesson when the computer crashed and all the work was lost. The incident left him so scarred that Diamond revealed that he prefers to store his precious songs in shopping bags rather than a computer or even a leather bag. “It’s the only thing that holds all of that stuff and I don’t want to invest in a leather bag,” he said.
— ANI
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Dress well to avoid chest infections! Come winters and you find everyone coughing and sneezing. It is important to dress up warmly when stepping out for school or work in the morning after a bath. — Dr Rashmi Garg is senior consultant, Fortis, Mohali.
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More lovely than fair?
LET us try and understand the problems you can encounter with an indoor garden.
HABIT forming narcotics may be called as the cause of a dreadful ruin to the family. It makes many generations suffer. Their excessive use leads to chromosomal effects, leading to congenital defects in the offspring. Along with physical problems, they also lead to economic pressures. An addict of narcotics may even perform illegal acts like robbery, thefts and murder to get hold of some money to purchase them. For the sake of joy that lasts only for a few hours, an addict ruins the life of his entire family, especially his wife who sees him rotting away his health day by day. The wife feels miserable, as she’s not able to control or lessen the damage that drugs are doing. But such wives should not take all the pain themselves. They should take the situation in their own hands and motivate their husbands to join Anti-drug societies for rehabilitation. Maybe, this could bring the rays of hope in their lives and enjoy life.
HAVE we ever discovered the lack of logic in things our funny perceptions make us believe so ardently. For instance, a doctor is a male for us, a nurse has to be a female, a jewelry designer or an interior decorator has to be female, an Engineer a male, a DJ has to be a male yet again. But here is someone proving all our not so convincing myths wrong.
ARIES : You start the day on a slow, gentle note which builds up momentum steadily. You'll need nurturing and protecting rather than being railroaded into hasty action. Lucky number: 15. Lucky colour: Brown.
LIBRA : Settle arguments rather than allow them to fester by refusing to talk. A friend or loved one wants to clear the air after a small misunderstanding. Lucky number: 3. Lucky Colour: Yellow.
TAURUS : There is natural flow of love and compassion around you. Negotiations bring favourable agreements. Your genuine respect can have miraculous effects. Lucky number: 2. Lucky colour: White.
SCORPIO:
"The Lovers" facilitate you to be open and inspired by new ideas. Don't waste time in conflicts; life is too short for that. Yoga and walking are great for you. Lucky number: 4. Lucky Colour: White.
GEMINI : This is the time where there is a tremendous need for honesty and clarity in relationships. Double-check all details. Your efforts can bring you recognition. Lucky number: 2. Lucky colour: Blue.
SAGITTARIUS : You wonder who and what to put first, family matters or career concerns. A friend in distress is looking for someone to lean on; he has chosen you. Lucky number: 4. Lucky Colour: Light brown.
CANCER : Smoothen difficult partnerships by involving a third party to act as either a partner or a mediator. New associations will help you to get what you desire. Lucky number: 13. Lucky Colour: Blue.
CAPRICORN : "The Queen of Swords" bring mental clarity and perspective in chaotic situations. Sweep some things under the carpet; no one will know for a little while. Lucky number: 4 Lucky colour: Dark red.
LEO : When you come across any problems, opt for tried and trusted person. "Nine Golden Cups" greets you happiness. Delay at work is temporary and should be taken in your stride. Lucky number: 5. Lucky Colour: Yellow.
AQUARIUS : You drop your crystallized ego and express true feelings in a loving relationship. You are brilliant, active and skillful in professional ventures today. Lucky number: 18. Lucky colour: Peacock green.
VIRGO : Your patience brings personal relationship together once again. "The Queen of Wands" allows you to achieve professional success with calm authority. Lucky number: 5. Lucky Colour: Brick red.
PISCES:
Health, finance and relationships should not be taken for granted. You learn from mistakes and grow as an individual. Meditate for higher levels of consciousness. Lucky number 2. Lucky colour Silver gray.