The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

A colourful show of skills at St. Xavier’s
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, December 14
The junior students of St. Xavier’s Senior Secondary School celebrated the 20th annual sports day, mesmerising the audience with drills that were full of colours and splendor, at the school in Sector 44 here today.

The show belonged to the students of primary section as they put up exciting drills like the hanky panky drill, flower drill and shimmering rainbows, which lighted up the playground with warm vibrant colours of the spectrum.

The senior students presented a march past to the beat of the royal band. Students of senior classes put up a special display of skilled marching with the flags in the colours of the school in their hands. The boys of Class XI and XII displayed their strength and balancing skill by forming a human pyramid.

The function concluded with the chief guest Mr Hardev Singh Mattewal, Senior Advocate and former Advocate General of Punjab, giving away the prizes to the meritorious students. Mr Andrew J. Gosain, Chairman of the school, addressed the audience and presented a vote of thanks.

In another function as many as 200 carol singers from 10 different schools took part in a concert to celebrate the spirit of Christmas at St. Joseph’s School in Sector 44 here today. The participants held the audience spellbound as they expressed their joy at the birth of Jesus Christ and heralded the glory of God with melodious voice and excellent instrumentation.

The schools which took part in the concert included St. Joseph’s School, Sector 44, St. Mary’s School, Mohali, Carmel Convent, Sector 9, Sacred Heart Convent, Sector 26, St. Stephen’s School, Sector 45, St. John’s High School, Sector 26, Baptist School, Sector 45, Saupin’s School, St. Anne’s Convent, Sector 32 and Mount Carmel, Sector 47.

Martyr’s memorial at Sainik School
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 14
The Old Boys Association of Sainik School, Kapurthala, will construct a martyr’s memorial on the school premises in memory of former students of the school, who laid down their lives during various wars. A foundation stone will be laid on December 22.

The schools will also organise an eye donation camp on the same day. About 200 old students along with their families will attend the camp. The association has also decided to institute a trophy in the name of Maj Yogesh Gupta, who killed four terrorists before laying down his life. The association has also sanctioned a sum of Rs 25,000 for the school band for purchasing equipment and dresses as they have to participate in the Republic Day parade.

CULTURE

FILM REVIEW
‘Maseeha’ an avoidable outing
Sanjeev Singh Bariana

‘MASEEHA' (Batra) is an easily avoidable outing because the presentation offers nothing.

It is not just that the story contains the same old repetitive elements of love, drama, fights and songs, the director has not been kind enough to try some new innovations within the action framework. The talk is too mundane, the action too ‘filmy’ and the dialogues too dry.

The college atmosphere to suit a highly ‘temperamental’ Namrata Shirodkar presents a pitiable sight. The friends of her college rival, later-lover, Inder Kumar, are definitely paintings of street urchins fit into environs of youthful activity. Both are out to outsmart each other by playing different pranks. Namrata’s father Tiku Talsania displays very poor humour to evoke a forced laughter to facilitate Inder to fall for his daughter.

Sunil Shetty on the other ground is a social crusader who has the guts and the guns to nail the underworld. He plays the role of a ‘saviour during times when anarchy prevails and the screams of the downtrodden become lifeless’. He has information for all nefarious activities to allow him to destroy them. Once again the role has not been neatly drafted.

The underworld is controlled by Mukesh Rishi. Rajpal Yadav is Shetty’s informer who however is working along with Rishi. He has some old scores to settle with Rishi who is his brother-in-law and believed to be the cause behind his sister’s suicide.

Partho Ghosh, a director with a decent name in Bollywood, has given a below average package to the flick produced by Pravin Shah. This one is a Nanjibhai Shah presentation.

The film also features Manek Bedi, Mohan Joshi, Shiva, Ishrat Ali, Raju Shreshta and Vijoo Khote. Pradeep Ghatak has written the script; dialogues have been done by Anwar Khan; Akram Khan is the cinematographer; Ahmed Khan and Umesh Jadhav have done the choreographer; and Ratnakar Phadke has done the art.

Dev Kohli has written hardly mentionable lyrics for an equally hardly mentionable music by Anand Raj Anand.

Harbhajan honoured
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 14
Singer-turned-actor Harbhajan Mann was in the city today at the invitation of a food joint in Sector 35. Fans in large numbers came to have a look at the singer, who is now being accepted more in the form of an actor.

The managers of the joint organised a special function to honour Harbhajan for his contribution to the Punjabi film industry.

Harbhajan later talked to mediapersons about the creative satisfaction he had achieved after acting in his debut film, “Jee aayaan nu”, which not only gave him a launching pad, but also helped him realise his talent. He said the success of the film could easily be credited to Manmohan Singh, director of the project. He said, “I am extremely satisfied. I am certainly looking forward to more creative projects on the line of Jee Aayan Nu.” I hope to work better to uplift the Punjabi cinema from its current state. I promise to keep contributing towards making the Punjabi cinema more entertaining, more upmarket and more sophisticated”.

‘Magical’ moments at Plaza Carnival
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, December 14
It was indeed a magical evening at Plaza Carnival where Sanjeev Kumar Sharma - a well known magician from Ambala, cast his spell. As the magician performed a host of simple and complicated tricks combined with a simple doze of humour by tonight’s anchor person Kheyali Saharan, the venue was heated up with excitement despite the winter chill.

An experienced magician, Sanjeev created illusionary visions like vanishing a fire stick in the midair, transforming silk into stick or making a girl disappear from a closed box which inspired awe among the audience. Among the most enthralling tricks were chopping a girl into three pieces and then bringing her back to life, piercing a girl with 56 swords and making a girl change her costume four times by just wavering a piece of cloth around her.

“Magic is just another form of art which requires crafty hand movements, a sense of creating illusion and hypnotism through voice and expression,” said Sanjeev. The magician has been performing for the past 16 years all over the country.

“My interest in magic started when I had the opportunity to watch a magic show during my school days,” said Sanjeev. He was so fascinated with the make believe world that he became a disciple of Kamal Pasha Bali, a magician of repute.

Magic has nothing to do with ‘tantra mantra’ as many people think, said Sanjeev. “Even hypnotism is wrongly perceived by general people,” he said, adding that popular concept of hypnotism was shortlived and hence could not be used during magic shows. “In magic shows one has to create an illusion by voice, hand movements and expressions,” he said.