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A Home for
Sir Vidia
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It is ironical that
Nobel Laureate Sir V. S. Naipaul was asked to prove his Indian origin
recently, given the fact that he has spent a lifetime writing about
the diaspora, says Rajnish Wattas
THE recent news report
that Lady Nadira had a taste of the sarkari ways of the Indian
High Commission couldn’t have left Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul
amused in his rocking chair in the wood-lined study of his Wiltshire
cottage, UK. Trust the Indian High Commission to extend its ‘state-of-the-art’
rude and crude bureaucratic ways, regardless of the fact that the
visitor was none other than the wife of a Nobel Laureate, who the
country gushingly claims is of Indian origin!
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Calling
on City Beautiful
ON his visit to India in
April, 1989, while researching for his book, India: a Million
Mutinies Now, he made a brief visit to Chandigarh to cover the
Punjab region. And it all started with a small news item in a local
newspaper mentioning his arrival. Being an avid Naipaul fan, I had a
great urge to meet my literary ‘idol’.
A slice of Haryana
A venture of Kurukshetra
University, Dharohar displays a rare ensemble of artefacts belonging
to ancient, medieval and contemporary history and heritage of the
state, writes Narendra Kaushik
IN
Haryana, the only
culture is agriculture. So they say in half-jest. But a visit to
heritage museum in Kurukshetra University (KU) may turn the phrase on
its head. For the museum called Dharohar exhibits hitherto unknown and
lesser-known facets of Haryanavi culture.
Don’t miss these out
Designing harmony
Kappil Kishore has found
a deep connection between fashion and
astrology. He tells people which clothes will bring peace and
prosperity to
their lives,
writes Geetu Vaid
A look at his profile
proves that he is a fashion designer, and the presence of a double
"p" in his name Kappil proves that he has a strong belief in
numerology and in the science of astrology. But what comes as a
surprise is that this suave and stylish person makes his clients also
accept the fact that there is a deep and inherent link between
astrology and fashion, and that the principles of this ancient science
can define fashion for them.
Take criticism
sportingly
Use criticism to conquer
your
shortcomings, and rule the world,
says Deepa Gopala Krishnan
American actress Megan
Fox says she can’t handle criticism, and lives like a recluse to
avoid reading negative comments. A Zen believer says that we should be
like a flowing river. Negativities are the stones that try to stop the
river’s flow. Just as the river finds its path in spite of the
stones, we must find our path without getting stagnant.
Costly
cocktail
A
Mai Tai, served in Belfast’s The Merchant Hotel, has earned the
distinction of being the world’s most expensive cocktail. The
concoction comprises the same ingredients as the original, first
poured in 1944 at Trader Vic’s, a South Seas-style
bar-and-restaurant in Oakland, US Trader Vic’s founder, Victor Jules
Bergeron Jr, narrated the origins of his Mai Tai in his book Frankly
Speaking: Trader Vic’s Own Story.
Birds of beauty
A few rural and urban
communities in Maharashtra have worked hard to create some
wonderful peacock sanctuaries and jungle habitats, making them a tourist’s
delight, writes Vimla
Patil
Within a short distance
from Mumbai, stand a couple of magnificent peacock sanctuaries of
India. The jungles around Ahmednagar district and the wooded areas of
Pune, both in Maharashtra, resound with the cries of peacocks as the
rainy season draws near. With the first showers, the forests become
verdant and cool, making them a perfect background for more than 6,000
dancing peacocks that live in the hills and valleys of these regions.
Pt Ravi Shankar Not out at 90
Pandit Ravi
Shankar, who
was recently felicitated for his lifetime contribution to Indian
classical music, says music had been "his life" for the last
75 years. The legend was feted by
diplomats, well-wishers and admirers, who gathered to celebrate the
musician’s birth year and share glimpses of his nine-decade-old
life. Described as the doyen
of Indian string instrumentalists, he is still grounded in music at
90.
The Curious Case
of an Indian-made Hitler film
Based on the life and
times of the dictator, Dear Friend Hitler has generated much
controversy, even before it has been shot, writes V.
Gangadhar
Filmmakers, the world
over, agree that biographies of famous people have often been good
topics for films. The characters can be from history, distant past,
good or bad, but must be interesting. Hollywood had come out with
films on Alexander-the Great, Julius Caesar, King Henry V, Queen
Elizabeth, Marie Antoinette, Shakespeare, Beethoven as well as a
number of legends from the nearer past.
Boman basics
With hits like Munnabhai
MBBS, 3 Idiots and Well Done Abba in his kitty,
there’s no stopping Boman Irani. Sreya Basu chats up the
versatile actor
You started your film
career at 44. What made you take so long to take the decision?
I don’t know. I always
loved acting and used to take part in school and college plays. Before
joining films, I was into theatre also. But don’t know why I worked
at a wafer (Uncle Chips) shop in Dadar (Mumbai) till the age of 32.
Then, at a really terrible holiday in Ooty, I decided I had to do
something with my life.
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