Lahore for Company

Eight actors from Lahore are here to participate in a weeklong workshop with Neelam Mansingh’s Company. Gayatri Rajwade speaks to the director on her forthcoming cross-border production

Today is the start of something special—a weeklong theatre workshop with eight Pakistani stage actors (including one woman) and seven of her own—a culmination of effort between Ajoka’s Madeeha Gohar and her, in the three years since the borders between the two countries began opening up.

Building bridges

“The response to our productions in Lahore was quite special. I say special because, ostensibly, it is a foreign country, but then again ‘foreign’ in parenthesis because the language and dialect is all pervasive,” she explains. The workshop is the beginning of new collaborative effort, which will culminate in a joint production.

Workshop culture

Workshops help evolve new tools of expression, a new vocabulary of action using new methods, forms and ways of acting. So what is her format for this particular one? “There is a system used by all directors all over and I also bring my own understanding of the medium to it. We start with the basics where each actor is made to understand his or her relationship with space, reach inside of oneself to bring out a neutrality of form and get rid of the baggage of acting that every actor carries within him.”

This, going into exploration of language, “shedding stereotypes and pedagogic expressions” and finally going into text for which Neelam has already identified vignettes of what partition means to people from different walks of life from a Granta Book on 50 Years of Indian Independence compiled by Urvashi Butalia.

“The emphasis is on what this text means to the actor in you, to weave your own memories into. Most of this generation’s memories of the partition come from what they have heard about it from their parents, families. But how do you negotiate those memories, what is that shadow that haunts you? Reaching within oneself to that level of honesty is what we hope to achieve,” she explains. Finally “flat is powerful” she states and the aim is to escape action and the sense of histrionics and exaggeration and elucidate theatre simply.

Visually and musically stylised as her works are, this time around too, Neelam has picked on “evocative music which hold no images and associations” around which the workshop will be woven.

Keeping pace

This brings us to her involvement with CITCO’s proposed Sound and Light Show of which she is an integral part. “There is so much to this city, its gehri route, its own rituals, its sense of history from the Rock Garden to the architecture of Le Corbusier—the show must capture this hub, that spirit and recreate it in a manner that immerses you, sucks you into time.”

With her highly acclaimed play Nagamandala all set for another round of shows in October and her work with the Department of Indian Theatre at Panjab University keeping her on her toes she says she is in a “perpetual state of exhaustion, which is now my natural state,” she laughs. “My problem is economics, for getting a show is a struggle but getting an audience is not. I have clung onto Punjabi theatre but I need the means to keep the pace going. I would like to work much more,” is this feisty lady’s parting shot, just before she goes off to welcome our neighbouring actors. The show goes on.

Fizzy logic
Saurabh Malik

PAMMY’S BEAUTY TIPS
For your crowning glory

Having great hair can make us feel like million dollars! If you are not blessed with good hair, don’t worry. Almost everyone can have healthy looking hair provided you combine the right maintenance regime with the appropriate products for your hair type and follow professional advice from time to time. To keep hair in good, healthy condition you have to not only depend on shampoos and conditioners but also use hair care products that must be combined with a nutrient-packed eating plan and your hair will love you for this.

Though the hair is made of dead keratin but each hair is rooted in the nutrient rich part of the skin and is alive. The key to having good hair is ensuring that the root and follicle are in good condition. All of this can be achieved from within, your overall health, hormones and the kinds of food intake and drinks. A lack of nutrients in the food intake, vitamins and minerals can encourage hair loss. Add sufficient portions of protein rich foods like nuts, chicken fish, beans, pulses, fish to every meal of yours. If you are having problems with your digestion then the nutrients will not be absorbed into the blood, thus failing to nourish hair follicles. Add the friendly bacteria like yoghurt and curd if you are on antibiotics. Iron deficiency in food intake is believed to trigger hair loss, so don’t let your iron levels drop down. If you are thinking going off meat, removing it from your diet could take away a good source of iron- look for a substitute. Significant hair losses can also happen due to stress or can also trigger by imbalance of hormones. An under-active thyroid gland and failing to produce the right amount of thyroxine can lead to hair loss, if that be the case-try iodine rich food, it may help.

Hair Food:

• Remember roots and follicles need feeding with the right nutrients.

• Oats at breakfast are believed to be great stress relievers.

• Cut back on smoking, caffeine and carbonated soda as they block maximum hair growing potential.

• Avoid foods that are high in sugar and salt content.

• Vitamin B complex, B-6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Beta carotene and lax seed oil can help- Check with your doctor before going on any of these.

Right choice

Do not shampoo hair twice in succession as suggested by the labels on the bottles. Second time shampooing will only strip your hair of the nutrients while the first one will cleanse it. Also your scalp will be robbed of sebum, the oil your scalp releases to lubricate hair follicles, leaving your scalp irritated. Always shampoo once and rinse your hair for good 5 minutes with cold water to close the cuticles, which are open after shampooing with hot water. Cold water helps people with oily greasy scalp encouraging moderate sebum production.

If you have sensitive skin use shampoos meant for children, they happen to be mild but they contain over greasing agents. Dandruff shampoos do more harm than good by irritating the scalp, removing protective oil and sometimes even encourage dandruff.

Look for shampoos with Aloe Vera that has anti-bacterial and tissue restorative properties, Lecithin increases moisture and is an antioxidant, Lipids are responsible for sheen and lustre, Hydrolyzed Elastin is a vital protein which adds elasticity pliability to hair, Keratin amino acids for conditioning and strengthening. Remember healthy hair rely on a balance of proteins, moisture enhancers, essential fatty acids.

The bottom line is that your hair ultimately reflects the overall condition of your body. For hair to be your crowning glory, eat right, reduce stress, exercise, give your body adequate hours of rest, 7 to 8 hours of sleep and you are on your way to maximising your hair growth potential.

ABC of radio scripting
Tuning-In with Hardeep S. Chandpuri

A shoddy script written by someone with an equally shoddy writing skill can spell doom for any radio show. No exceptions here at any cost. All listeners come to listen to a show that provides them with a heady mix of entertainment and information. And when they don’t get it, the only option they have is to tune-out of your show and tune-in to your competitor’s. I bet you wouldn’t want that at any cost. Right?

Simplicity is the key

The simplest rule of writing a good radio script is simply being simple. You as a scriptwriter are not there to test the knowledge of your listeners. For example, instead of writing—It was a gargantuan leap into history, one can simply write, it was huge leap into history. Guys remember, if you want your script to be heard, then remember the ABC rule of scripting. It is accuracy, brevity and clarity. If this rule is clear in your head, then rest assured that there will be many listeners for your show and of course, buyers for your scripts.

While writing a radio script, keep in mind as to whom are you trying to reach. Is there any emotional hook in it and the delivery style of the Radio Jockey? I mean a peppy and an informal RJ might not be able to do justice to a script that has a smattering of Urdu couplets in it. So remember to keep all of the above factors in mind.

Slow and steady…

Slowly build up your script, be very concise and never stray away from the theme. If you have a great sense of humour, then you can add a dash of it, to get the all-important smile on the face of your listener. But make sure you don’t hurt anyone in the process and if the joke is on yourself then all the better. But never overdo it.

Research is the most important part and utmost care has to be taken while getting hold of the facts. When I first started writing radio scripts in 1992, there was no internet in those days and one had to go through a number of books, magazines, television shows etc., just to get that elusive nugget of information. Today, it’s much easier.

In the end, I would like to say that if you follow even a few of the tips that I have provided you with, then a rewarding career as a radio script writer awaits you.

(The writer is a renowned Radio Personality running Radio Buzz and The Take-One Academy of Broadcasting, a Radio Jockey trainer, voice expert and an international broadcaster)

WRITE TO RENE
Keep treading the path of clarity

I am a 19-year-old girl, just stepping into a new career situation. But with all the options, which seem to be available around me, I wonder if I am doing the right thing or not. I have always had this feeling of “what will I be when I grow up?” I have had many friends who seemed so sure of themselves as they were growing up. I have tried to look into many options myself. I am really afraid that if I pick up on the wrong career, I might not be happy. Is it ever possible to know what is the best career for oneself? A career that will not only bring money but also some satisfaction in life. Please advise me.

Mona, Patiala

Dear girl, please do not fret over your career situation at this extremely tender age. You have this huge canvas of life ahead of you. I do appreciate that at your young age, you are so serious about taking the right decision about having the right career but you will realize slowly that as you remain focused and clear in your thoughts, your true vocation will start steering you in the right direction. Life is all about having a clear mind and heart and the rest just follows. Keep treading the path of clarity. Do not get swayed by what others are doing, surely there is some vocation that interests you inherently, work towards it, and frankly, if you are not happy with it, just move on to your next best option. Surely, something will answer some call within. Be sure of yourself. You are still very young, so do not be afraid. Your career will come to you.

* * *

I am a girl of 28 years, recently divorced and going through a severe depression. I feel life is not worth living. I was always full of fun and laughter and loved to dress up and go for parties, but now I feel embarrassed to be seen anywhere because I feel such a loser. I hate it when people ask me questions about my life. I tried very hard to live with my husband but finally gave up because he was a drug abuser and an alcoholic. Life became impossible with him after a while. After leaving him, I again got into a relationship with someone but even that did not work. I feel I do not have a good relationship with God. May be, otherwise why should He do this to me? I see my friends enjoying with their husbands or their boy friends and say to myself ‘why me?’ Please help.

Sonia Alhuwalia, Ambala

My dear, why are you wallowing in so much self-pity? C’mon, put your act together and get out to a fresh start in life. Life is not only all about marriage. There are many other aspects of life that need to be in order, for you to have a happy life. You must realize that your learn to express in your own relationships what ever you have learnt as a child in your relationship at home with your parents and peer group. You normally recreate the same relationship around you when you grow up. We all continue to attract people from our childhood to fit into our present lives in order to feel comfortable and secure in our lives of today. So in order to heal your present, you will have to actually look into the faults of your past relationships, so that you can heal the present ones. Do forgive all the people who have hurt you. Divorce is not a stigma any more. You are young, you must move on. Try staying away from relationships for a little while and concentrate on yourself. As you ease out, life will naturally perk up.

***

I am a 35-year-old-man and I am in the middle of this crisis situation. I recently discovered that my wife, whom I have always loved and trusted completely, was seeing somebody else. We were good friends for five years and got married five years ago. After this long 10 years of being together, I wonder what it was that made her step out of this relationship. Now I am feeling completely cheated and have told her to go to live with her parents for a while, till I can learn to handle the situation. Now she calls me up many times to explain but I feel I am too hurt to listen. I do love her very much but I do not think I deserve this treatment. Should I listen to her and should I forgive her? I am confused.

Satinder Chugh, Chandigarh

Young man, hold your horses and don’t jump to conclusions. If you have discovered your wife being friends with another man, where exactly is the reason to over react to the situation? It could be a plain and simple healthy friendship. Do look into the matter first before hurting yourself unnecessarily. Any relationship is first and foremost about trust. If you show her that you love and trust her, she will anyways not cheat on you, of course give her the chance to explain herself. You owe her that much after being with her for all those years. Also if you give her the feeling that you care for her very much and that you are very hurt by with her behaviour for having hidden something from you, she will also respond equally. Remember life is about loving unconditionally. If you love your own self, you will also love your partner. So give her a chance enough, even if she has been wrong. Do not behave like a spoilt child and just open your heart. Everything will sort itself out.

FUN WITH FASHION
Flaunt your frock
Anandita Gupta

Photos by Pradeep Tewari

Remember Sri Devi sensuously swirling in a heap of hay in Mr India’s rain sequence – ‘Kehni hai tumse jo dil ki baat’. Her alluring blue chiffon sari in this rain sequence made her reign as the queen of Bollywood for many years.

And guess what, you can recreate this magic by donning chiffon dresses available around town.

Oozing super – girlie appeal, these knee – length frocks in chiffon are available in a vibrant mish – mash of prints – pilots, florals, geometrical, digital, graffiti, and kitsch. Their bulging necklines and flouring asymmetrical cuts further jazz up their looks.

In fact, with so much hoopla about women’s liberation nowadays, we all know who’s wearing the pants now! But the city girls are having maximum fun, by complimenting smart formal dressing with feminine and flirty styling.

They are very naughtily giving their corporate power – dressing a miss for the more devious allure of elegant of sexy dresses. Especially in a weather like this, when rain showers are splashing romances all around, these girls are teasing zesty rainbows through their tantalising dresses.

And yes, the best part about these outfits is the innovation thrown in into their sleeves—from layered and crinkled to flared ones, these frocks flaunt sleeves in different shapes and sizes. There are ones with those noodle straps and spaghetti straps too.

While the ones available at the city’s offered shops are drenched in a palette of nude colours, the ones hung at booths with bright sparkles of explosive patterns.

However whatever colour pattern these are available in, they seldom paid to evolve a soft mood of girlish charm.

While the chiffon ones are a rage, there are the georgette and tissue ones vying for attention. The latter are generally worn like an overcoat, with a slip underneath.

The price range too, does not dig too deep a hole in the pocket. Starting from Rs 300 to 700, these frocks are glamorous, yet affordable.

Available in the markets of sector 7, Panchkula, Sector 22, Chandigarh and fashion hubs like Ten West, Meena Bazaar and Kapsons, these are surely a treat for the city fashionistas.

Funk, flounce and feminity— wrap all of these in a happy bunch and what you get is these frilly frocks oozing oh-so-English feel. Combine them with cute little shoes and wedges, sleek voile scarfs and a gem-studded broach and get set to have your suitors at your toes!

Belly rules the Head ’n’ Heart

Food is a recurring metaphor in literature and Gayatri Rajwade explores the books that follow the way of the stomach to reach the heart

He coocked fish so exquisitely that it returned him admiring and grateful looks from the frying pan—Philemon

To make it clear, it is not about the recipes, for that you can get in cookbooks galore—it is about a ‘look’, a certain philosophy to be found only in food—the passage through food not into it.

This is about books that revolve around food as a theme, sprinkling astute insights along the way and making for enchanting reading as they plant little savouries about lives, cultures, traditions and values as they go along.

Take, for instance, the 1989 best-seller Como agua para chocolate— Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Instalments with Recipes, Romances and Home Remedies written by Laura Esquivel.

A deceptively simple love story set in Mexico, the novel is sprinkled with recipes which weave through the narrative providing an ongoing allegorical commentary on the characters and their traditions.

Not only did the book strike a chord with readers selling more than three million copies worldwide, it even got made into a movie that became the highest grossing foreign film ever released in the United States at the time!

Closer to home is our very own Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, never mind Aishwarya Rai’s deadpan rendition in the film adaptation of the book where the Mistress has a rather lyrical involvement with spices!

Insightful journey

A peek into bookshops around the city reveals that although cookbooks rule the roost, there is a small yet spry collection of reading material that journey through food to tell their tales. For, as Pankaj P. Singh, Chief Executive, The Browser Library and Bookshop-8, puts it, “these books provide a peek into the different cultures around us without being unduly heavy. Anecdotes, tales and accounts find flavour through ingredients, recipes and gastronomy.”

Think Bengali, Parsi even one on Sufi Cuisine by Nevin Halici inspired by the teachings of Sufism where the eating and cooking of food seems intrinsically connected to Sufi religious practices. Opulent recipes, lavish illustrations and charming anecdotes surround the preparation of each dish from chick pea soup to swordfish casserole, sweet spinach to desserts such as preserved rose petals and even Turkish coffee!

Cook books

So what sells? “Chocolate, wines and whiskey books sell,” tells Ajay Arora of Capital Book Store-17.

Ah, think Chocolat written by Joanne Harris here. Published in the year 2000 it tells the story of a young mother who arrives at a fictional oppressed village in France with her six-year-old daughter and opens a small chocolaterie, which quickly begins to change the lives of the townspeople.

For, Ashi who runs a charming café, ‘Coffee Needs Company,’ in the city, Chocolat remains a favourite. “I felt I could relate to the protagonist. She is bohemian but with a warm passion for what she does. The way she treats people and welcomed them and the way they open up with her, I feel like her sometimes,” she offers with a smile.

And yes, there are other connoisseurs for such books.

Chetna Sethi, housewife and an avid reader living in Phase 9, Mohali lists Isabel Allende’s Aphrodite in her list of ‘must-read’ for all. “The book is fantastic for it is a metaphorical journey into life and its pleasures, reminding one that there is so much to live for and unfolding through funny stories and luscious recipes,” she explains.

In the final analysis although these books are hard to classify for they go beyond your cookbooks into something wider in a geographic, historic and sensory scope, they promise something new, something special, something tempting to relate and whiff through.

Food for thought

Here are some titles to browse through especially on a monsoon drenched balmy day and yes, they are all available in our city bookshops:

• The Modern Library Food series edited by Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief of Gourmet

• Under the Tuscan Sun by Francis Mayes

• Butter Chicken in Ludhiana by Pankaj Mishra

• The Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffrey Steingarten

MATKA CHOWK
American Dhaba
Sreedhara Bhasin

On a long road trip that took me through the meandering countryside of America – through stark terrain of no vegetation and grand valleys of wildflowers – I found one thing with uncanny consistency – roadside Chinese restaurants. Just like our dhabas on Grand Trunk Road, these small Chinese restaurants or rather ‘dives’ are ubiquitous and a real success. With names like Hia Hua and Xang hao – they sell cheap and plentiful food with no frills and no boundaries.

My childhood memories of road trips in India smell strongly of thick tarkha daal and alu-gobi, eaten hungrily at these faceless and nameless dhabas. One could find them everywhere. I always marvelled at the sight of the young boys pushing daal around in gigantic kadais and older men pinning chicken strips to the long seeks. Lunches were delicious and hot, followed by some satisfied grunts and thick sweetened tea.

While eating tacos in small Mexican restaurants and calzones in greasy Italian places and of course, kung pao chicken in the unfailing Chinese dives, I did miss our dhabas. I also duly bored everyone with stories of great tandoori chicken and baigan bharta. While eating delectable chocolate mousse or mango cheesecakes in fancy places, I told them about Gopal’s kulfi and had a tough time describing exactly what it is. Dosas – I had no trouble describing, for every American seems to have eaten it at least once. Same went for the samosas. One of my American friends truly surprised me by giving me numerous variations on the samosa filling. They were also willing to give me recipes for chicken tikkas and alu patties. And thanks to President Clinton, they all enquired about the famous raang at the Delhi Maurya Sheraton. They even knew how long it takes to get a reservation there!

I found great Indian restaurants in every medium to big sized city. Grocery stores have plenty of Indian TV dinners. You can pop in the microwave, a bowl of rajma chawal and turn on the game between Brazil and France. Fashionable places with names like Bombay Bistro and Shalimar now abound in the glory of saag paneer and pork vindaloo. But, no dhabas – not even one – gladdened my searching soul. While eating in extremely functional Chinese dives in remote American villages (no pretty Chinese lamps hung here and no vestiges of interior decorating) I could not help but wonder, about the lack of some genuine desi dhabas.

Indian enterprise is so abundantly evident in all spheres here – why not dhabas? After all, wouldn’t it be great to eat some daal-makhni in the heart of the Prairies or eat some alu parathas while looking at some ancient Texan oil well?

Kanwar’s Bollywood adventure
S.D. Sharma

MUSIC MATTERS: Kanwar Iqbal with his award. — Photo by Malkiat Singh

Besides being a fine art, Hindustani music is a logical science, which had been invariably subjected to exhaustive research, experimentations and innovations right from the Vedic period when the sacred classical (Margi) and regional (Deshi) categories of music were formulated,” opines Kanwar Iqbal, the noted music director of 12 Punjabi films and serials.

He is also working for his forthcoming Hindi film Choodiyn starring Vinod Khanna, Prikshat Sahni, Gracy Singh and others. Credited with over 300 music albums, seven new year-eve Doordarshan programmes, Kanwar specialises in the tappa, thumri gayak, regional folk and other genre of music. He learnt from Pandit Bhagwan Das Saini, Abdul Rehman Khan Saheb and Dr S.L. Mishra.

Bestowed with the Balraj Sahni National Award for the promotion of classical and regional music for 2005, Kanwar shared his views with the Life Style on the varied and enriching cultural contexts and controversies ailing the contemporary art music in all its forms and manifestations. On traditional purity and innovation, says Kanwar, “with the advent of advanced technology, the musical affinities between the alien cultures had rapidly emerged closer which had perpetually taken the whole musical world in a stride”. The fact that ‘any form of art can retain its vitality and popularity’ only if constantly enriched with innovations has been eloquently proven with the fusion albums by classical maestros like Ustad Sultan Khan’s Piya Basant Re.., Pandit Pohenkar Piya Bawri.. and more by Rashid Khan’s Naina. These perfect blends of ragas and western beats had widely popularised our classical music, which is otherwise reigning supreme on the world music. I too have undertaken similar venture with a noted Lebanese singer, Arafat Khan, mixing the Gulf and Arabian musical strains with the Punjabi folklore and beat patterns.     

Darwin’s survival of the fittest formula equally applies to the established and budding music professional composers, singers and stage performers, observed Kanwar based on his musical career spanning over two decades. Any artiste will have to be versatile and capable enough to compose or sing the folk to thumri with consummate ease, update knowledge of modern recording equipments and its use. A systematic learning is essential to equip oneself to meet the challenges of the commercialised market, which always expects you to churn out something novel and fresh.

On parampara and institutional learning

Without any prejudice to the education in music imparted for academic necessities Kanwar reiterates that the beneficiaries of Guru- Shishya system with a potent potential, discipline and devotion to hard work had better chances to survive and shine in any discipline. Sukhvinder, Shanker Mahadevan, Hariharan, Sonu Nigam, to name a few in this context. However, the test-tube singers born out of SMS tend to lose luster as quickly as they gain it.

Bread ‘n’ Art
Parbina Rashid

Earning bread through art is not unheard of, but making art through bread? Well, not very appetizing. However, Navpreet Kohli of Dera Bassi does not think so. Give her a piece of bread and her imagination runs wild—a flower, a teddy or even a landscape, complete with greenery and cascading waterfalls!

It was her keen eye and unsatiated appetite to capture anything beautiful with colour and form that urged her to step into the world of art without much training or a formal degree. But she has what it takes to make one click—confidence.

Her experiment with colour soon spread to different canvasses and now she has a vast range in her fold—oil, foil, glass painting, pot painting, fabric painting and even puppet making. “Besides painting whatever catches my fancy, I make stuff toys and pillows which have become hot favourite among exporters, specially to countries like Australia,” she says. Looking at her huge puppet dog in fluffy white stuff that moves with the help of four drawstrings one can understand why her toys are finding homes abroad.

“I got the idea of making staffed movable toys from an English movie and the whole thing just clicked,” says Navpreet.

A happy-go-lucky Navpreet does not mind disseminating her either skill or ideas. “Dera Bassi is a backward town, I, along with a few like-mined people here, am trying to generate awareness among women so that they can develop their skill and be economically independent.” It may be a small step towards women empowerment, but nevertheless means one-step forward and we welcome it wholeheartedly.

Jaipur comes calling