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Shop talk
The Sati man MATKA CHOWK Reaching stars through scissors
Less is more Love your dog FILM REVIEW Click and become a poet WRITE TO RENEE
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There is something about
Kalawati... If you go looking for Kalawati Devi for a chat session, chances are that you will find her sitting patiently inside her small wooden makeshift pujaghar at the backyard of her residence in Sector 7. The heat does not deter her, neither the news that a journalist is waiting for her, while you fret in the sultry heat, hoping that she would cut short her session with God, just this once! Virtue of patience But then, she does not understand the hurry in you, for patience has been one of her strong points in her career as a model for art students that spanned over thirty years. Well, before you let your imagination run wild, let us assure you she is no Kate Winslet posing for Leonardo da Caprio, in a la ‘Titanic’ style. She is a humble 70 something, who has been posing for every promising and not-so-promising artists of this region. “I love posing for the children. Their enthusiasm and dedication is touching and so is their love for their subject,” says Kalawati who fondly recollects her working days at the College of Art when she was required to sit straight in front of a bunch of students who struggle to capture her, first with pencils and later by paints. “So many batches have come and gone during the past 30 years, but they all have been kind to me,” her eyes twinkle as she tell you how they give her money to have chai
paani during those long sessions. Sitting pretty “During my initial years, I used to often feel sleepy for a model has to sit for two sessions, a three-hour session in the morning and another one in the afternoons. It is very difficult to just sit and keep a straight face when you are bored and sleepy. But they are always an understanding lot,” says Kalawati. Kalawati originally hails from Allahabad and later moved to Mumbai. She lost her husband at a tender age and then moved into this city with her brother in the year 1974. “When someone suggested that I pose for art students, I accepted it. For money was in short supply and I wanted to contribute to the family income,” says Kalawati who still lives with her brother and his family. Competition was less than and for posing six-hours she used to take home Rs 60 for a day’s work. Her wage has gone up to Rs 150 per day but so has the competition. “These days quite a few women are posing as models. There are ones who do not mind posing in the nudes and this is something I could never do though one gets paid twice as much for that,” says
Kalawati. Love reciprocated There may be many. But Kalawati is certainly the most popular one, both among the old generation and the new ones. “She is so perfect to paint,” says Viren Tanwar, a former student of the college who has made it big in his chosen field. “She may not be the perfect face but her expression and her bodylines are fascinating and the best thing about her is once you take a good look at her you do not have to look twice to complete her sketch,” says Tanwar when he is asked to describe the good points of his favourite model. “There is also a sense of easiness and sincerity about her that clicks with an artist instantly,” says Tanwar, admitting that there is a little bit of Kalawati in all his portraits, even his recent ones. Someone special If Kalawati’s expression and bodyline aroused Tanwar’s creative passion, then for Bhim Malhotra, a 1987-year batch artist, it is her aura of helplessness that hooked his attention. “She is simple, sincere and has an aura of helplessness that’s easy to bring out when you paint her,” says Malhotra. Another trait of her personality, which everyone adores, is her ability to mix up with the students. Her personal touch comes not only from her expression but her post-sessions behaviour too. “Anyone who poses in a classroom, starts feeling fidgety after being stared at by about 80 pairs of eyes. But not our Kalawati,” says Tanwar. She is definitely the most-loved one. But is Kalawati willing to carry on playing the model, now that she is at her fag end? “I would love to continue at least for the next session, till I have the energy. Besides the love of the teachers and students, the artistic atmosphere is too addictive to give up,” says Kalawati. Maybe Shakespeare was wrong for once. Maybe a name does mould one’s personality after all!
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Escalators elevating the intensity of your buying experience; capsule lifts taking you to new-heights and levels of shopping centers; aisles lined with temptation and toothbrushes in psychedelic hues; international brands of garments and liquor for die-hard shopaholics; and sky bridges connecting different parts of a four-star hotel— all under one roof. That’s pleasure shopping for you just round the corner. Right folks, you have guessed it correctly. Multi-level malls offering international levels of stay `n’ shop facilities, along with pubs-cum-discotheques, illuminated by colourful intelligent lights, are all set to come up in and around Chandigarh. Some of the malls or shoppers’ happy hunting grounds are expected to be ready in another two or three years. Needless to say, the food courts offering domestic and international cuisines will coax you to over-indulge, while fully equipped health clubs will tempt you to work it out. And then you will have all those health spas oh-so-hot these days. Guys out shopping with gals won’t have to worry as well. For, the swimming pools in the malls will help them to maintain cool, while the girls burn holes in their pockets with cool imported lipsticks complimenting their rose-dabbed looks. “So far, the `malls’ and `multiplexes’ existing in and around Chandigarh undoubtedly have domestic and international brands of consumer, and even electronic, goods. Also plush discotheques, but hardly anything else,” says President of Punjab Colonisers and Builders’ Assocation-cum-Managing Director of Janta land Promoters Limited Kulwant Singh. “But things are about to change in the near future”. Agreeing, Managing Director of Tulip Infoservices Private Ltd, Pradeep Seth says: “Just when you think you have seen it all, you will have a mall with an interesting new idea. For, our dream project Chandigarh Grandeur, coming up in Zirakpur on the Delhi-Chandigarh-Shimla highway, will have a four-star hotel within the mall for business and leisure travelers.” The mall, Seth says, will also have a huge entertainment area for the little ones to play while the parents shop. Then you will have international fast-food chains and counters offering national and international cuisines. “And if you are looking for your daily fix of caffeine, there will be many delightful coffee bars for you to walk in,” he adds. Ah, all this talk about shop in style sounds interesting. And the youngsters living life in the luxury lane will surely love it. After all, so many of them are simply unaware of the pleasure you get out of window-shopping in Sector 17 and 22. Well, that’s the way it is. — Saurabh Malik
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Tu Ganga ki mauj Main Jamuna ka dhara In times when the young are grinding out guttural numbers like Dum-dum ashiqui hai teri a la Himesh Reshamiya, it comes as a surprise indeed when suddenly a young and with-it boy gets up onto the stage and starts singing: Tu Ganga ki mauj, Main Jamuna ka dhara… vintage Baiju Bawara. But this is just what happened at the preliminaries organised by Yaadgar-e-Rafi Society at Bal Bhawan of Saturday in preparation for the gala Rafi Memorial Nite to come later. Melody makers It was a most pleasant return of melody hearing some great songs that tend to feature these days only in Bhoole-bisare geet kind of antiquated programmes. These were some great numbers like Na toofaan se khelo na saaheel se khelo, O door ke musafir hum ko bhee saath le le re, Madhuban mein Radhika nache re and many more belonging to an era when melody was queen and Naushad and Rafi with some others had played a major role in giving her this queenly status. Bishambar Das Sharma of the Yaadgar-e-Rafi Society says, “ This year we lost Naushad who was the greatest music director that Indian cinema had ever seen. So this year we have narrowed down to only the songs Rafi had sung for Naushad in tribute to the great maestro.” In fact, the city has had the privilege of having Naushad preside at a Rafi nite some years ago. And to the society goes the credit of keeping Rafi’s songs on young lips. Dynamic duo Naushad was already a name to reckon with having moved from Lucknow and then succeeding in towering over Mumbai film music, when Mohammad Rafi, a lad born in Kotla Sultan Singh near Amritsar arrived on the scene. Naushad was quick to recognise the mettle in Rafi’s voice and what followed was sheer magic. The magic was cast in Baiju Bawra (1952) and as critics say that it was Rafi’s thematic rendering of the ragas introduced into the film by Naushad that made a mediocre actor like Bharat Bhushan a star overnight. Together they made some wonderful music in films like Shabab, Mela Amar, Kohinoor, Mughal-e-Azam, Ganga-Jamuna, Saaz aur Awaaz, Dil Diya Dard Liya, Palki, Mere Mehboob and many others. While Naushad gave a break to many singers his favourites were Lata Mangeshkar and Rafi. On Rafi’s demise in 1975, Naushad cried out, “The messiah of music has left this world.” A winner of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his contribution to Indian Cinema, the last film that Naushad composed music for was Akbar Khan’s Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story (2005). He passed away in Mumbai on May 5, 2006 of cardiac arrest. One is reminded of a famous song by this duo: Yeh zindagi ke mele duniya mein kam na honge, Afsos ham na honge. But they are very much there in our midst because people like Naushad and Rafi never die. Thewir songs live forever and we can hope to hear them sung again by many a young talent in the months to come.
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Love in the time of
adultery A
wife happy over her middle-aged husband’s intimacy with a twenty something, just because it gives her the license to throw vodka, and her mangal-sutra, at him!
A husband apprehensive of admitting a platonic affair with the youngling, for the fear of being labelled weird!
A single friend pretending to be wedded for going around with a married man without the fear of committing anything! And the “married man” ever willing to ask her invented husband to divorce her so that he too can leave his wife — that’s love in the times of adultery. If you too want to see the changing expressions on the face of love and happiness from the time it was all about enjoying each other’s company in seclusion of the trees to “walking hand-in-hand in a mall with salesmen in two-score stalls offering goodies” or “sipping coffee in roadside Barista”, do not forget to watch “Your place or mine”. The comically serious play about love, marriage and adultery starring Kitu Gidwani, Darshan Jariwalla, Tarun Khanna and Kavita Rathod is all about two couples experimenting with relationships for redefining it in a society where “Throwing garbage off the kitchen balcony” is akin to “living in”. For, both actions equally infringe the norms laid down by the society. The play was staged at Tagore Theatre Friday evening. To begin with, her husband Rajeev is romantically in love with “Cutie-Meow” — a young girl into editing poetry on a website. Rajeev believes that men are basically monogamous because of the expenses involved in an extra-marital affair. Yet, having an affair and spending Rs 4,000 on dinner with a girl is absolutely justified because “wives do not allow husbands to relax”. In fact, they “try to hold the marriage together even before it begins to fall apart”. Rajeev is ever apprehensive about wife Anita leaving him for good. But he continues to date Cutie-Meow right till the time Anita reads a message from her on his mobile. It’s only then “Dopey Labrador” — as Rajeev is fondly called by Cutie-Meow — decides to give her up. And when he finally finds Anita has left the house in a huff, he goes to look for her, but turns back because of the heavy Mumbai traffic. All this while he is dead against wife Anita’s friend because she is using his apartment for four hours every Friday! If he displays hypocrisy by calling friend Naina a “slut” and a “happy-hour wife” with “buy-one-get-one-free offer”, he doesn’t admit it. His affair does not disturb Anita as long as it is purely physical because the entire thing “allows her to act obnoxious” and cut the sleeves of his coat. Anita allows Naina to lie to her married boyfriend that she is Rajeev’s wife. Anita even allows Naina to use the apartment for enjoying “affair through proxy”. Anita loses her cool only when she realises that Rajeev has been spending so much on the girl not for physical intimacy, but for “her company”. She announces her decision to leave the proxy affair and get involved with some married man. Naina, in the meantime, finds the idea of getting married and “smelling the armpits” of her husband in the mornings absolutely repulsive. So she decides to go around with a married man, Vivek, instead of looking for a single guy. Otherwise also, she believes “all single men have boyfriends”. Even when her relationship with Vivek is at the brink of collapsing, all she can think is the effort involved in looking for “a new married man and a new apartment”. In the end, Vivek announces his plans of going back to his wife, while Rajeev hopes to continue with Cutie-Meow. Anita gets ready to look for a married man, while Naina decides to finally tie the knot because “cutting sleeves is so much fun”. The curtain falls as they all try to get through to their final destinations on different telephones. Don’t miss the play whenever you get an opportunity to see it. For, it’s all about vulgarity without being vulgar. And it doesn’t conclude with traditional `all-is-well-that-ends-well’ note. The play is all about bringing to foreground the disillusionment in relationships by talking about “what is”, rather than “what should be”.
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With small screen offering great opportunities to actors, many have been seen making a name for themselves. Sandeep Rajora is one of them. With the innocence of a child but with aspirations that soars high. Acting remains his forte, and when it comes to business no one can beat his professionalism. Presently this handsome Delhi boy is working in Sahara One’s Sati-Satya Ki Shakti written by Rang De Bansanti fame Kamlesh Pandey. Sandeep Rajora plays the lead role along with Mansi Salve. He talks to the Tribune about his career and the role in ‘ Sati’. From Delhi to Pune’s MBA to Mumbai’s Gladrags contest! What do you think does the life has for you in future? Well the ride had an exciting start and I wish it remains as amusing throughout. Basically all of it has been a surprise package for me. I did an MBA to ensure a good career, at one point I wanted to be a sportsperson and now here I am, in this luminous world of media. Acting is fun and I feel good to be gifted with this talent. Nothing in life was pre-planned. I took each day as it came, tried to make the most of every opportunity and lived every moment to the fullest. What enticed you to take up Siddhartha’s character in Sati? Primarily it was the brief. I was told that the character they wanted to portray was that of respected Hollywood’s star Tom Cruise, from the movie A Few Good Men. The role was macho yet not anti-feminist, held positive perception and plus challenging as it was of a lawyer. A very feminist storyline, yet Sati does justice to your character in every episode. Agree or disagree? A little bit of both actually. I would never want over exposure that would lead to the dilution of the meaning of the serial. The story has substance and the flow needs to be consistent. Too much of me or too much of them would lead to fluctuating peaks in the serial, which might lead to confusion or loss of interest amongst the audience. All I try to deliver is satisfying involvement at all times. But that doesn’t mean my character is wasted or unimportant. It’s basically like the yin-yang theory. As the masculine and feminine elements are balanced in nature, likewise are to be balanced in all offerings made to nature. Be it real life or reel life. Do you think that reality series like Sati is important in today’s TV entertainment gamut? I have always believed, and my experience in the industry has only strengthened this belief, that today’s audience is not a passive one. Gone are the days when only DD was available. Today the audience has a range of entertainment sources to choose from. Thus whatever the industry intends to deliver must have a logical and rational explanation. Be it humor or mystery, they all need to be in sync with the audience intelligence and mentality. The Saas Bahu saga were popular at a point in time, but today, what audience wants to see is independence, bigger dreams and determinations fulfilled, competition and all of this with the essence of our cultural framework. How has the experience with co-stars and the crew been? Over all, a memorable one. Working with Mansi Salve has been great. She is a very simple and genuine person. The cast and crew have been helpful throughout and working with them has been a learning experience. The production house is very professional and every encounter has brought in different realizations that’ll probably be useful for all future assignments. — D.P.
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Travelogue
The travel goddess has not been very kind to me lately. I have had insurmountable difficulties in going through a simple and rudimentary travel itinerary. I have been stranded in stations and airports all over the world and sometimes for a very long time. This time, it took me three days worth of attempts to catch my international flight back home. The first day, it was weather and the second day it was air traffic. On the third day, after being stuck in an unknown city for entire 24 hours, I managed to embark on my destined flight. While waiting for endless hours in airport queues and lounge, I entertained myself by analyzing the travel behavior of Americans versus Indians. Americans are very good about waiting in line! No pushing, shoving, cutting and no fits of anger. I wonder, if it is the air-conditioning that makes the difference? Also, nobody seems to be stressed about finding a space, either in the plane or in the lines. People do not rush into the oncoming service bus like their life depended on how quickly they could embark or disembark! I guess, they have not heard the lifelong mantra of – jaldi karo, jaldi karo, bus chhut jayegi, train chhutnewali hai. And of course, Americans are so garrulous and friendly! Flight fellows would greet each other warmly and soon engage in conversations revealing details of their life, plight, hope and future. One gentleman regaled me with stories of his time, working for a Saudi Prince. Another told me of his adventures in the Galapagos Island. I wonder, why are we so close-mouthed? Is it a British bestowed virtue or a natural shyness? Indians are also worried travelers. They are forever confirming everything, double-checking everything, talking to other Indian passenger for verification of information and in general, anticipating some unforeseen obstacle. Americans on the other hand, sit around – relaxed and calm, barely bothering to check schedules and boarding passes, even when that might be required! It must be their innate faith in the system! On this flight, I also noticed that very few Indians rose to the occasion of helping those who do not speak English. I found an old man floundering without any comprehension of the English instructions directed at him. Smart and urbane Indian fellow passengers shied away from offering any help to him. Is it our innate fallacious belief that English makes you a better person? When I got out of the airport in Delhi, I felt thoroughly depressed. The sudden onslaught of heat and noise and endless scurrying human bodies all around made me want to turn back and take another flight to a cooler and calmer world. While I started on my journey to Chandigarh, I was still brooding till we stopped at a roadside hotel and ate, at two in the morning – hot samosas and chhole. After eating a few spoonful of the chhole with the crunchy samosa, I was home again!
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Reaching stars through scissors
Dreams whisper… Fantasy and finery go together like a hand in a well-stitched glove… And creations find a face in the melting pot of creativity and skill. As 27-year-old Aditi Rana sits patiently, spinning her gossamer web of designs, Lady luck smiles upon this young designer. And lo, a star is born! Till yesterday, this young Himachali girl from Kangra researched fabrics, dreamed a little and designed Launcharis (Gaddi tribe’s official female dress). But today, she has her hands full with a prestigious Bollywood assignment. Sunil Babbar, producer-director of the forthcoming Hindi movie ‘Party,’ has signed this NIFD graduate as the official dress designer of his film. And guess what, the assignment is quite prestigious as the movie is chock full of characters whose glitzy dresses Aditi’s designing. “The movie has about 80 characters partying around and all of them go down the nostalgic trip lane too. So imagine how many dresses have to be created by me?” gasps the youngster, real excited about working in a costume-based film. But how did she get this big break? “I was passionate about designing since childhood and was guided by my extremely creative dadi. And then, like a sudden flash of lightning, it dawned upon me that fashion designing was what I was meant for. So, I left my BA 2nd year studies and joined NIFD, which gave me a sense of direction. Meanwhile Sunil uncle saw my self-designed dress at a party and liked it so much that proposed to sign me,” explains a beaming Aditi, adding, “I’ve inherited this talent from my dadi, who’s given me these wings. But my institute taught me to use these wings and fly high. Dressed in a plain T-shirt, blue denim jeans and a no-nonsense bob, the young Himachali reassuringly subverts the glam-drenched stereotype designer, who reigns in the glitzy world of fashion. Still, at such young an age, she’s managed to grab a whole chunk of attention in a world where attention spans flicker with notorious fickleness. No wonder, her scissors would soon land her in the stars!
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On the roof, in the rain… Anandita Gupta Remember the sprightly Kajol in Dil Wale Dulhaniya Le Jayange, happily getting drenched in a freshet of sparkling, glistening water? Or a joyous Lara Dutta and Vivek Oberoi, cupping their hands to collect the rushing rain torrents, singing— On the roof, in the rain? And, how about Madhuri Dixit and Shahrukh Khan jumping into dicy rainwater puddles, singing Ghore Jaisi chaal, Haathi Jaisi dum, oh saawan raja, kahan se aaye tum… Seems like Bollywood buffs love to watch their heroes and heroines dancing, as splashes of rain showers zigzags down their bodies mischievously. No Happy hues—Besides some dicy puddles to step and dance into, what rain showers bring along is some bubbling joy de verve, no less. So celebrate the joyous spirit by donning dresses in bright fluorescent colours— Lime greens, hot pinks, sultry oranges and vivacious violets. The prints you could play with are florals, polkas, and kitsch. Georgettes and chiffons are the fabrics to get yourself wrapped in for that rain-kissed look. Chappals—Chances are that as the chilled water drips and trickles down the roof, you’ll be tempted to take off your footwear and jump into those happy puddles. So, say goodbye to those bulky shoes and make way for cool, comfortable footwear. And when it’s the time to pamper that pedicured footsie of yours, there’s nothing like the good old chappal. Moreover, chappals available in the city today are refreshingly chic avatars of the yesterday’s humble chappal. And finding these chappals is not difficult. Visit any city-rehri market (Sector 22, 19, 15) and amidst the little, crowded lanes twisting and turning after every six shops, you’ll find lots of tiny jutti-hubs stocking these chappals. The colours these chappals are drenched in are an absolute treat— sunshine orange, peacock blue, tropical green, fiery red and poppy pink. And yes, there’s much these funky pairs sport—beads, mottis, embroidery, ribbons, sequins, doris, fluff artificial flowers and what not. Accessories—Choosing accessories for a party seems tough to most of us. But for a rain dance, you can choose a theme for yourself and pick up accessories accordingly. Like you can be dressed up as per the Hawaiian theme—you’re your colourful shorts, skirts, or floral pyjamas with lots of garlands, anklets, beads and straw hats. Raincoats—What better way to feel and look romantic in the rain than wearing a transparent raincoat that allows a peak-a-boo of the rain-drenched clothes underneath. So, go ahead and buy a raincoat. Prefer a transparent one and bedazzle your onlookers!
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Less is more Remember, no matter how good RJs we all might be, but it takes no rocket science to guess that the listener tunes into the radio to listen to music only and to get entertained. What comes along with it in the form of spots, jingles, jock talk etc., is just part of the package deal. All this has to be taken with a pinch of salt, but guys, this is the truth. The biggest mistake any Radio Jockey can make is very basic.The day he or she starts feeling that the listener comes to listen to him or her only, then the career graph is bound take a nosedive. See guys, I have been in the radio industry for more than 13 years now and after having worked in more than four countries, I have arrived at the simplest formula and that is, in case of radio, less is more. The less you talk, the more the people will flock to listen to you. Take the example of radio stars like Casey Kasem, Ameen Sayani, Rick Dees, Shadoe Stevens etc., they all follow the above-mentioned rule with no exception. Don’t forget, the listener is very smart and he can make out the difference between feeling belonged or being left out. And if he goes away then be rest assured he or she will never come back.Yes guys, the feeling of being led on is hard to accept, right. And any right-thinking RJ would not want to try it. Some RJs are so much in love with speaking endlessly that sometimes they even loose track as to what they are supposed to be talking in the first place. Recently, I heard an RJ at a popular metro station and the way he was blabbering with no end in sight, left a lot to be desired and one was forced to reach out to the tuning knob of the radio set and jump on to another station. Make sure people don’t do that to you too. When you write a radio show, see to it that you have only small bits to speak, so that the listener does not miss out on the songs and the entertainment, but I will also like to add that at times one needs to speak a little extra, so be it but, please don’t make it into a regular habit. Last but not the least; remember the listener wants quality content and nothing less. If we can fulfill his desire effectively and that too in minimum words, good modulation and with maximum energy and peppiness then your career is as good as made in this exciting and rewarding world of Marconi’s invention. (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)
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Love your dog Then they came to a beautiful gate with a person in a white robe standing there. ‘Welcome to Heaven’, he said. The old man was happy and started in with his dog following. But the gatekeeper stopped him. “Dogs aren’t allowed, I’m sorry but he can’t come with you.” “What kind of Heaven won’t allow dogs? If he can’t come in, then I will stay out with him. He’s been my faithful companion all his life, I can’t desert him now.” “Suit yourself, but I have to warn you, the Devil’s on this road and he’ll try to sweet talk you into his area. He’ll promise you anything, but the dog can’t go there either. If you won’t leave the dog, you’ll spend eternity on this road.” So the old man and his dog kept walking. They came to a rundown fence with a gap in it, no gate, just a hole. Another old man was inside. “Excuse me Sir, my dog and I are getting mighty tired. Mind if we come in and sit in the shade for awhile?” “Of course, there’s some cold water under that tree over there. Make yourselves comfortable.” “You’re sure my dog can come in? The man down the road said dogs weren’t allowed anywhere.” “Would you come in if you had to leave the dog?” “No sir, that’s why I didn’t go to Heaven. The man there said my dog couldn’t come in with me. So we’ll be spending eternity on this road. A glass of cold water and some shade would be mighty fine right about now. But, I won’t come in if my buddy here can’t come too, and that’s final.” The man smiled a big smile and said “Welcome to Heaven.” “You mean this is Heaven? Dogs are allowed? How come that fellow down the road said they weren’t?” “That was the Devil and he gets all the people who are willing to give up a life long companion for a comfortable place to stay. They soon find out their mistake, but then it’s too late. The dogs come here, the fickle people stay there.” Moral: Love your dog, it is the commitment you made before bringing him in your life or else some one is waiting for you at the first door.
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Scaling up the corporate ladder
Madhur Bhandarkar is the National Award winning filmmaker, celebrated for his realistic films — ‘Chandni Bar’, ‘Satta’ and ‘Page 3’. For Bhandarkar, his new film ‘Corporate’ is different. It is glossy and techno savvy since it is based on the corporate sector. ‘Corporate’ presented by Sahara One Motion Pictures and Percept Pictures Company, deals with the emotional aspect of the corporate world. ‘Corporate’ opened on Friday at Kiran, Chandigarh and Fun Republic, Manimajra. As the name suggests, ‘Corporate’ tackles the underbelly of the corporate world and exposes its seamier side through a protagonist (Bipasha Basu) who becomes a pawn in the power play between rival corporate houses. The well researched and well directed 110-minute film stars Kay Kay Menon, Minissha Lamba, Raj Babbar, Payal Rohatgi, Samir Dattani, Rajat Kapoor and Harsh Chhaya. From boardroom to bedroom, the dark and dangerous secrets of business enterprises get unravelled as Bipasha Basu and Kay Kay Menon scale the corporate ladder together with great ambition and spirit. The film gives audiences a bird’s eye view of politics of business world. ‘Corporate’ is a good platform for Bipasha Basu and Kay Kay Menon. For Bipasha, this role totally different than her usual sexy glamorous role. Kay Kay Menon, Rajat Kapoor, Harsh Chhaya, Raj Babbar do a good job. Samir Dattani and Minissha Lamba had little to do in the movie. Composers Samir Tandon lives upto his reputation. Sandeep Nath’s lyrics are almost uniformly good – a great relief in these days. Camera work by Mahesh Limaye is also excellent. Though not a classic like Madhur Bhandarkar’s last hit ‘Page 3’, ‘Corporate’ is still worth watching. — D.P.
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Click and become a poet But your days of anxiety is over. Two young people Sharad Choudhary and Nitin Bhalla have worked out a solution for you. Just click SayPoetry.com and join the web of established as well as not-so-established poets. “The website is designed to inspire creativity and give a platform to upcoming poets. This website is also a library of of poetry and quotations which will inspire the young generation poets,” says Nitin, a poet himself who has published works like Discovering Love and This Year to his credit. Coming back to the website, which is open for all, apart from providing an opportunity to one’s poetry online free of cost and motivates one to contribute poetry of renowned poets in the website collection. It also has provisions for receiving constructive criticism from all visitors around the globe. What is more, to popularize it among the younger people, especially school and college going kids, these two creators are going to organize theme poetry contest, Haiku poetry contest and season poetry contests. Here is your chance to showcase your talent folks!
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Find a meaning to life
I am a married man in my mid 30s with a life that would probably be the envy of most people. I come from an affluent family, have a beautiful wife and a baby, a nice house and a good job. Somehow I always feel unhappy and dissatisfied with my financial state. I seem to be constantly worrying about my material belongings. It seems very important to me to be driving the right car, to have a big house, lots of servants etc. Somehow nothing seems enough and I have started having sleepless nights over this. Why can’t I just relax and be happy and content with what I have. Is there help? Arvind Singal, PanchkulaMy dear, please do not fret over your condition, it is a state of mind lots of people are going through constantly. This is the material age and a person socially is gauged by his material possessions. Moreover, most boys in our culture are brought up to believe that their self-worth is attached to the amount of possessions they have. To some extent it is important to strive for material prosperity for the comforts of your family but there is definitely a deeper meaning to life. Unless you don’t find a deeper meaning to life the state of your discontent will grow. Try and discover your inherent passion. What did you love doing as a child, or what was your real dream. I am sure it was not really only about making some money. Life should be a constant state of joy, but you will only reach this state in a deeper connection within yourself. Try it. I am a 28-year-old guy who has been experiencing a feeling of being constantly cheated by life itself. I feel I spent my childhood living up to my parents expectations and never considered my own desires. Then, with my peer group. I always went out of my way to help my friends much to the annoyance of my family. Suddenly I have started feeling used by family and friends both. I feel cheated in terms of money and loyalties as well. I have been trying to do some positive thinking but nothing seems to work. Deep inside of me, I have started feeling like a loser and feel extremely disconnected to all that is around me. How can I change this state of mind? Anand, Chandigarh Dear boy, do pull your act together and stop wallowing in self-pity, It is a very convenient mental state to start blaming the whole world for the way your life has turned out, but your own self. Please check your own pattern of behaviour. Remember that when you were doing things for your family and friends it gave you a sense of satisfaction and happiness. It was in the giving that you were receiving .You have perhaps changed your perception of life and started wanting a certain reward for all that you have done for others. If you have been honest in your giving, life will definitely reward you. It is the law of nature you always get what you give and what you deserve. That which belongs to you by right of consciousness shall come back to you anyways. You seem to be caught up in a negative pattern of thought Shed it and start living in the light. You have cleared a lot of your doubts they will not of course go overnight but trust nature and you will see life clearing up. I am a 29-year-old woman in relationship with a man for the past five years. I feel that I am really in love with him and committed to him for life. I feel he also loves me but is scared to voice his feelings as he has been through one bad marriage. Commitment is something he seems to want to run miles away from. Although I have not brought out the subject of marriage I know be enjoys my company as much as I seem to like being with him. Sometimes his behaviour is rude and tries to put me off but then there are other times be is gentle and caring. How can I put this relationship into a better perspective. Deep inside I really do feel he is the right man for me. Shanti Verma, ChandigarhMy dear girl, are you in love with the idea of being in love? Sometimes due to our own addiction to the concept of love, we convince ourselves that this is just the right person for us, and we put all the qualities we require in a man onto him. Nobody ever changes even if you try to make them change. Each human being is born unique unto himself and continues to live his own way of life through his own perceptions. Do not convince yourself that he is the right man for you just because he is around? Do raise your self-esteem enough to be able to objective about the genttleman’s behaviour towards you. Do not hang in a limbo. Five years is a long enough time to know someone. If he is still not sure his feelings for you, you definitely need to consider your own life.
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Umbrellas—Yes! You don’t have to carry the bulky think along as you dance, but it’s imperative to make an entry to the venue carrying it. At a theme party like a rain dance, an umbrella can instantly notch up your stylo- meters. And worry not. For, the stark black and bulky umbrellas are totally out. What’s replaced these Raj-Kapoor-Nargis black umbrellas (remember Shri 420?) is a smiling bunch of some happy colourful umbrellas. Loud acid coloured prints, fun cartoons, graphics and smiling colours—a flush of sunshine orange, rainforest green and even the peppery bubblegum pink. Umbrellas in the city are sporting it all. Flowers, stars and polkas are dappling these delightful things.
Guys, have you ever come across a Radio Jockey who just keeps on blabbering all the way to glory, not even one bit concerned that his listeners are getting kind of sick of him? I bet you may have come across a couple of them. On radio, make sure that you talk only what is required, when it’s required and of course reconfirm, if at all, it is really required. 
I
came across this beautiful story while surfing the net. I am sure all dog lovers will enjoy it as much as I did.
An old man and his dog were walking down this dirt road with fences on both sides. They came to a gate in the fence and looked in, it was a nice grassy area — just what a dog and man would like. But, it had a sign saying ‘no trespassing’ so they walked on. 
You are going through a creative high and cannot wait to pen down your emotions, and join the league of Robert Frost or William Wordsworth. You are doing fine as far as getting your emotion in order and writing it down too. But what comes next is a rude shock— visiting every publishing house only to be turned down, for very few people out there would be willing to give a budding poet the chance to prove his worth.