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Kalam to open law institute in Mohali Chandigarh, November 22 The AIL was established in July, 1999, as a means of providing an avenue of professional education to wards of serving armed forces personnel, ex-servicemen and war widows, though some seats are also open to civilian candidates. Of the 60 seats offered every year, 48 are reserved for wards of defence personnel, while eight are meant for residents of Punjab and three are open for all-India candidates. Admission is through an entrance examination, with eligibility being Class XII pass with at least 50 per cent marks. The institute, running an integrated five-year law course, has started its fifth session from this year. It is affiliated to Punjabi University, Patiala, and is recognised by the Bar Council of India. Students are offered a BA (Law) degree after three years and Ll.B. degree on completion of the five-year course. The AIL has a modern, well-developed campus spread over 6 acres, with hostel facilities for students. It has modern classrooms with scientific teaching aids, an air-conditioned library, a computer laboratory with LAN and lease-line connectivity, a moot court, a conference hall and a seminar hall, a gymnasium, sports facilities, a CSD counter and communication facilities. The GOC-in-C, Western Command, is the ex-officio patron of the institute. |
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DAV school holds annual sports day Mohali, November 22 Kids Preparatory School The annual sports meet was organised at the Kids Preparatory School here today. The chief guest at the function was Padam-shree Kartar Singh, Director, Sports, Punjab. The function began with a PT show followed by sports events for tiny tots. Among those who won prizes include Gunkirat, Jappreet, Simran, Armandeep, Nirbheet, Jashan, Inayat, Simran, Jasmine, Prabh-keerat, Kanwarpal and Gursimrat .
Foundation day The sixth foundation day of the Institute of Engineering and Techno-logy was celebrated at the college campus. A sehaj path was organized for the well-being and prosperity of the institute and students in the newly-constructed block. Bhai Harjinder Pal Singhji and his ragi jatha were also invited for occasion. |
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Instructors of Shiamak school train kids Chandigarh, November 22 The dance genres cover hop, jazz, salsa, rock and roll, afrojazz and fusion of traditional and modern styles. Among the participants are people ranging between four and 60 years. Every training session ends with a vibrant performance, attended by Shiamak Davar himself. |
Jassi
to perform at Silver City today Zirakpur, November 22 |
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Pankaj Berry shares his moments in the sun It was difficult for actor Pankaj Berry to control the flood of memories that lashed his mind all this day. On a nostalgic trip to the city which fed his aspirations when he was most hungry to learn and share, Pankaj recounted the minutest of details which another star with his quantum of success would have conveniently skipped. His repeated reference to Chandigarh, where he spent five crucial years of his life — learning the tempting realities of acting and unlearning its even more tempting abstractions. Between Kalka where he lived and Chandigarh, where he blossomed into a fine actor, Pankaj discovered a route that went straight to success. This route passed through the Department of Indian Theatre at Panjab University, where Pankaj was seen sharing his moments in the sun with Dr Mahendra, Chairman, Theatre Department, who taught him the nuances of set design. Even as the actor recounted his life as a learner, a score of aspiring students still dreaming of starry success, waited to take some tips from him. His only advice to them was: “Respect your teachers, hold on to your lessons. It pays.” It was with this very mantra which helped Pankaj play some of the finest roles with ease and elan. He is still remembered for the perfection with which he played 12 diverse historical characters in Shyam Benegal’s epic production, “The Discovery of India”. Not many have forgotten him as an ever-anxious Qadir in “Gul Gulshan Gulfam.” Attributing his growth to his lessons at the department, Pankaj said, “I was the last batch of students at the diploma course of the department and the first to take its MA degree. It is hard to explain what Dr Mahendra, Rani Balbir Kaur and other teachers gave me. They helped me breathe theatre. I picked up the finest elements of acting here. I was also fortunate to play main roles in almost all celebrated productions of the department.” Holding a head gear which Pankaj had designed as a student, Dr Mahendra said, “He was curious, hence bright. He played Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Urubhang’s Ashwatthama with great professional charm.” For Pankaj, who was in Chandigarh to grace “Sambhang Natyotsava” at DAV College, it was homecoming all the way. He said, “Looking back I feel, everything was predetermined for me. I was not meant to assist my brother at his dhaba all my life. Fate picked me up from a small town and placed me in this department, which I had never visited before enrolling as a student.” Interestingly, Pankaj Berry was often intercepted by Shahrukh Khan along his professional journey. The coveted character which Shahrukh played in Aziz Mirza’s tele-production, “Circus”, would have been played by Pankaj had “Gul Gulshan Gulfam” not happened around the same time. Even later, Pankaj was late in sending his portfolio to Hema Malini, who had signed up Shahrukh for “Dil Aashna hai,” the first film of Shahrukh Khan. Missed opportunities, however, don’t bother Pankaj, who has his hands full with seven films, the most significant being Ashok Saran’s “Birsa Munda”, based on the life of a young Jharkhandi, who is said to have dared the British to quit India before Mahatma Gandhi. As for the future, he has no worries, for he knows he can fall back on the lessons learnt at home. |
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New release Starry eyed jaswinder, alias Jimmy, (Ritesh Deshmukh) is a specimen of an ambitious Punjabi youth who is in the USA to achieve something. A fan of Shan Rukh Khan, he lives with his sidekick, Mango Singh, named so because he came to the country in a box of mangoes. But immigration officials dash his hopes when his visa expires and he is told to leave the country. Sally (Brande Roderiques of “Baywatch” fame) has already given her heart to him and she proposes marriage. The newly weds are having a good time when suddenly his domineering father, Jatta Singh Bedi (Amrish Puri), suffers a heart attack. He rushes back home to discover that it was a ploy to get him married to a Punjabi girl, Richa (Hrishitta Bhatt). And the dutiful son marries her too! This sets the scene for comedy. The two wives prey on his mind and his life goes out of control. Though he sings a couple of songs with his second wife also, his emotionless dialogues keep you guessing with whom he is actually in love. The music is melodious but the “USA which LA, main LA di maina” takes the cake. This sizzling number has became a hit. Son of a former Maharashtra Chief Minister, Mr Vilas Rao Deshmukh, Ritesh, however, fails to impress despite his cute and the boy next-door looks. Satish Shah as a eunuch doles out some witless moments. But Brandy with her charming smile provides some good entertainment. Some scenes like Brandy reaching her hubby’s workplace wearing a lehnga-choli carrying food prepared by her are amusing. In fact, it is only this “La di maina” which makes the film
watchable. |
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Western Film Review CHANDIGARH:
The landscape is dotted with blood. The air is full of foreboding. With gore and guts strewn all over, director Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York” (Kiran) is a blood-spattered tribute to the mean streets of New York in 1840. Crooked Irish and European gangs are locked in a bloody battle for supremacy. After all, who owns the streets, owns the town. Swindler, killer, pickpocket, hooker, corrupt cop — you name it, they have it. If the streets reverberate with the sounds of gunfire during the day, they sway to music and dances at night. Amid this mayhem, enters Amsterdam (Leonardo DiCaprio), a young man seeking revenge against Bill “The Butcher” Poole (Daniel Day-Lewis), who killed his father (Liam Nisson). And what can be better than infiltrating the gang of the baddy he is gunning for. Helping him in his mission is a pickpocket, Jenny Everdeane (Cameron Diaz) who is a victim of Poole’s lust. But soon Amsterdam realises that with so many forces other than “The Butcher” arrayed against him, annihilating the enemy, after all, may not be that easy. The dark streets might be having many more surprises in store for him. Director Scorsese seems to have made the movie in a slaughterhouse. After every 10 or 15 minutes, there is a scene of either an animal slaying or a manslaughter. The master butcher could well be Daniel Day-Lewis who seems to relish the sight of blood and meat. Lewis nevertheless gives a splendid performance which dwarfs the awkward grimaces of Leonardo DiCaprio. Battle and riot scenes have been shot with all the panache of a master helmsman. The same, however, cannot be said of other scenes which have been picturised in a pedestrian manner. |
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Eating Out Tired of the same old varieties of dosas offered in most multi-cuisine and South Indian speciality restaurants of the city? When you don’t even have to consult the menu card and straightaway order the good old masala dosa, idli or vada sambar? Go to Sagar Ratna, Sector 17, for a change of taste. The restaurant chefs are whipping up new delicaicies to pep up the ongoing food festival. And with the whole staff of this famous chain of South Indian eateries being from beyond the Cauvery — right from the cleaner to the manager — you can be assured of the typical flavour tantalising both your tongue and olfactory senses. The bright yellow strings of marigold at the entrance lend a gay spirit to Sagar Ratna. On every table, both on the ground floor and the first floor, is displayed the list of new appetising range of dosas, tempting one to ignore the regular menu. Accompanied by an assortment of chutneys and pastes, the dishes are seasoned and dressed up to a fine art. They include the green (coriander plus coconut) and red (tomato and onion) sauces. Try appam, a steamed dosa, straight from Kerala. The manager, Mr Srinivas S. Bangera, says,”This is the most popular variety as Chandigarhians are very health conscious. They go for dishes that are fat-free or those that have the minimum calories,” Neera dosa, popularly associated with Mangalore, also is taken off the tawa greased with just a drop of oil. But what about the fried idli? Well, that’s for change and to please those who want some spices in the otherwise plain and bland preparation. The steamed idli is fried with sauteed masalas. Parotha kurma is also from the land of backwaters. It’s a paratha rolled out of maida and served with dal stewed with vegetables and dry fruits. Pesrat is an Andhra speciality prepared with moong dal soaked overnight. For those who dig for the stuffing in the dosa, there is a choice of palak (potato filling), mushroom and Maharaja (dry fruit-laced veggies). Then there is veg biryani — rice cooked in South Indian style. Complement it with rasayana, a cold drink of banana blended in watered curd and elaichi. Representation from the region south of Maharashtra is complete with thick khichi-like delectables from Tamil Nadu and Bangalore: pongal and bisi bele bhath, respectively. You get it all in the range of Rs 35 to Rs 60. As the cleaners, waiters, captains and managers, adorning the trademark red tikka on their foreheads, distinguished by the uniforms, hover around busily, you are impressed by the quick service. This is partly necessitated by the long queue of guests waiting outside for a seat in the 150-cover restaurant, specially during the peak hours. “That’s because we have managed to hook even the Punjabis to our cuisine,” adds Mr Bangera proudly. The festival is on till November 30. Before leaving, check the cash counter for the sweet paan topped with grated coconut. |
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It’s my life I AM indebted to Chandigarh where I was able to hone my skills in volleyball. It is thanks to the facilities available here, particularly in the Sports Training Centre of the Sports Authority of India located in Sector 18, that today I can hope to play for the Indian volleyball team. Though I am a native of Rae Bareli, UP, I was inspired to come to Chandigarh by my elder sister Shivani who also stayed here till the year 2000 in this centre and played volleyball at the national level. When I joined this centre in 2000 as a student of Class X at Sharda Sarvhitkari School in Sector 40, I was new to city. Gradually, the atmosphere in the hostel of STC-18 enabled me to get good friends not only in the volleyball field, but also my fellow colleagues of this centre in athletics, basketball and hockey. I did my primary schooling at Gorakhpur where I had begun playing vollyeball, but it was the SAI coach, Mr Shiv Bedi, who moulded my game to this level. Recently, I attended the Indian youth camp at Bangalore. I am now in Class XII and aim to be in the Indian junior volleyball team by next year. As a lifter, I want to bring glory to my country. |
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“Out of Control” deals with the topical issue of the lure of foreign land where marriage becomes a tool and selfishness is at its extreme. All these issues are on ample display, but the moral of the film is that you still go scotfree. Never mind that the film does not hammer the issue home but it certainly provides the much-needed encouragement to the dwindling tribe of “kabootars”.