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Where
history holds fort
On June 28, this year
the Red Fort was declared a World Heritage Site. This magnificent
monument in red sandstone bears testimony to another era, another
world. N.L. Batra captures the grandeur
of the fort in his book
 This
citadel symbolised the seat of power for the Mughal rulers as well as
the British Empire in India. The British occupied the Red Fort till
August 1947, after which the Indian Army took it over as a military
garrison. In December 2003, the Army handed it over to the Ministry of
Tourism and Culture to facilitate work to restore the Fort to its
former glory.
Oxford:
More than a matter of degree
A fascinating blend of
academia and history, Oxford is hard to resist, says Rachna
Singh
Oxford
is not exactly regarded as the hot spot on a tourist itinerary. It
figures significantly only on the ‘must-do’ list for students
attracted by Oxford University’s reputation for academic excellence.
So whenever I try to describe the beauty of Oxford, I’m met with a
stony silence and an expression that seems to say ‘Hey, its just
another university’.
Fact file
The
Great Punjabi Challenge
Randeep Wadehra
Sooner
than later it was bound to happen. The famed Punjabi humour has made
its presence felt at the national level and how. Four out of six
finalists in Star One’s latest edition of The Great Indian
Laughter Challenge are Punjabis – from Amritsar. There was a
seventh Punjabi participant too — Amanullah from Pakistan. With
roots in Amritsar, he holds iconic status as a stand-up comedian on
both sides of the divide and was a special invitee to all episodes of
the show.
SOCIETY
Marriage on the rocks
Most divorces these days happen largely due to incompatibility and
adultery. Increasing proximity between colleagues due to long hours at
the workplace have dramatically affected the Indian marriage, writes Neeta
Lal
Delhi-based
couple Om Prakash (65) and Kunti (58) seemed like the epitome of
marital bliss. They lived in a sprawling south Delhi mansion, their
two sons were settled in the US and their beautiful daughter had
married an industrialist. However, rather than enjoy a blissful
retirement and the company of grandchildren, the couple is currently
embroiled in an acrimonious court battle over familial property and
money. The husband and wife separated six months ago.
Think
pleasant and sleep well
It’s
3 a.m., pitch dark and you can’t sleep. How can you survive the next
day after being awake so long the night before? Difficulty in sleeping
is a common problem but there are ways to escape it."If you
offered someone one million euros to fall asleep in 10 minutes, he
would not win the money," said Cornelius Kellner, a sleep
specialist. It’s normal to be awake at night occasionally.
A
tradition in danger
There are hardly any takers for the dholak today, which holds little
appeal for the new generation musicians. Special festivals on such
folk instruments need to be organised to make people aware of this
heritage, says Parbina Rashid
Before
we set out for the Dholki colony at Mauli Jagran in Chandigarh, my
companion had warned me as to what to expect. As we approached the
colony, narrow winding roads, littered with garbage and populated by
malnourished, semi-naked children, greeted us.
Scoop
opera
In the last two decades, media has been the favourite theme on
celluloid, writes Ervell E. Menezes
Ever
heard of Mad City? It is one of the lesser-known films and made
by one of my favourite European directors, the Frenchman Constantin
Costa-Gavras, which I caught accidentally on HBO while switching
channels recently. Gavras’ other films include Z, State of
Siege, Missing and Betrayed and I met this docu-drama
wizard (he is Oliver Stone’s mentor) when he was in Mumbai`A0for
IFFI in 1984 with his film Hanna K.
INTERVIEW
‘I
want to take up bigger challenges
’Irrfan Khan tells V. Ananth about
his latest film Apna Aasmaan which is about parenting
Irrfan
Khan, who prefers to call himself just Irrfan, is excited about his
role in Apna Aasmaan directed by Kaushik Roy, an ad filmmaker,
who is making his debut in feature films. The film is about parenting,
and the pressures that we put on our children, says Irrfan.
Deprived
kids’ film
A
short film on child rights made by two rescued child labourers will be
screened at the Auburn International Film Festival for Children and
Young Adults in Sydney. The film, We See, is being screened
during the festival between September 17 and 21.
Age
of difference
Subhash K. Jha
After
two back-to-back tales of autumnal men in love with much younger girls
in Nishabd and Cheeni Kum, it’s time for Bollywood to
swing the other way. Films replicating the Mrs Robinson
prototype from The Graduate — of the older woman seducing the
boy-man — are set to roll out. Hyderabad-based producer Sudhish
Rambhotla wants to cast 49-year-old Dimple Kapadia, and none else, in
a faithful adaptation of The Graduate opposite 25-year-old
Sammir Dattani in the role of the impressionable student.
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