The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

Vasundhara, Randeep adjudged best artists
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24
Vasundhara of Yadvindra Public School and Randeep Singh of Gian Jyoti Public School were adjudged the best artists in a painting competition held here today.

More than 250 students from Gian Jyoti School, Yadvindra Public School, Golden Bells Public School and Shivalik Public School participated in the painting competition organised as part of ongoing heart week celebrations.

Vasundhara from Yadvindra Public School, Mohali, stood first, Rajvir from Shivalik Public School second and Tanya Padam from Yadvindra Public School third in the 12-16 years category.

In the 6-11 years category, Randeep Singh from Gian Jyoti Public School stood first, Bindiya from Gian Jyoti Public School second and jaskaran Kaur, also ffom Gian Jyoti Public School, third.

Students display their creations
Tribune News Service

Mohali, September 24
Students of the Northern India Institute of Fashion Technology (NIIFT) here presented a collection of evening dresses designed by them as part of their course. The evening wear module is taken up in the final year of the fashion design course structure where students are taught specialised evening wear from design to development stage. This year the students worked on a theme of evening wear and designed garments for the Miss World Pageant.

The result was an eclectic mix of traditional trends and amalgamation of India’s rich heritage of textiles, embroidery and weave. Students also drew inspiration from different crafts. The 10 day module on evening wear was put together by Ms Alpana Poddar, a former student of the Institute. The designers who won the top positions in the module include Narender Kumar, Ritika Seth and Shekar.

Freshers’ party held
Tribune News Service

Mohali, September 24
The Rayat College of Law organised freshers' party-Paradise on Earth. Mr Gurvinder Singh, the vice-chairperson of the Rayat Institute was the chief guest on the occasion.

The programme comprised group dances, mimicry, songs, solo dances, break dance and bhangra.

Among the students of the three year L.L.B course, Miss Madhumeet Talwar was chosen as the Miss Fresher while Mr Divya Suri was chosen as Mr Fresher. Miss Benu Lodhi was chosen as Miss Talented while Mr Navtej Gill and Miss Manpreet were chosen as the Best Dancing Pair and Miss Naman Deep Kaur was chosen as Miss Well Dressed.

Among the students of the five year L.L.B course, Miss Purnima was chosen as the Miss Fresher while Mr Aparshakti Khurana was chosen as Mr Fresher. Ms Harsimran was chosen as Miss Talented and Mr Nripendra Rana was Mr Well Dressed.

CULTURE

Stars of small screen come calling
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

In each other’s company

Also in the city with Sai Deodhar today were Shakti Anand, who plays the male lead in “Saara Akash” and Shabir Ahluwalia, who has found home in the character of Rishi Grewal in Ekta Kapoor’s “Kahin to Hoga”.

Promoting their serials, the actors spoke elaborately about the respective strengths and weaknesses of their characters. While Shakti plays a “disgraced Air Force officer” in “Saara Aakash”, Shabir plays a brat in his serial. In their respective acts, both the artistes are comfortable. Shakti has also recently launched himself as the host for Sony’s “Crime Patrol”. He has production houses besides Balaji to back him.

Shabir, for his part, is still gaining ground at Balaji. The actor tells of how he worked hard in the past to procure a diploma in management and then search for a job. “Acting was an easy bet. I auditioned for the serial and was taken in,” he says, adding that he is enjoying life which is more of a rollercoaster ride these days. Ask him how it feels to play the bad boy all the time and he is quick to mention, “It’s elevating.” Well, Shabir is surely living Rishi Grewal to the best of his ability.

Chandigarh, September 24
It’s difficult to run down Sai Deodhar as one among the many actresses on the small screen. Composed and confident, the girl sure has a winning edge, at least so says her profile.

Literally born into films (she’s the daughter of famed film maker Sharbani Deodhar and cameraman Debu Deodhar), Sai has a lot of good work to show. She won the best actress award of the Maharashtra Government as a Class II student. Sai recalled, “The play was titled “Didi”, and it was directed by Nimrita Sawant. It explored the dynamics of children’s relationships. The story centred on the birth of a child and the consequent bouts of insecurity which the first child faces. I played the first child and my character had deep shades to it”.

From that moment to glory to this, Sai has come a long way. In fact she has been part of many celebrated productions as a child artiste. She played a son to Dimple Kapadia in Nana Patekar’s “Prahaar”. She also acted in Amol Palekar’s heartwarming serial “Kachi dhoop” years ago.

Having transformed almost completely, Sai says she is rediscovering herself with every passing day. “It was easy for me to understand the grammar of the medium, as my mother was heavily into films. She won the national award for her very first film titled “Lapanda” (meaning hide and seek). I also acted in that film. My mother has done five other films, all varied and structurally strong. Her recent film “Lakru”, which traces the journey of a lost child back home, went to the Chicago Film festival. It was also nominated for the Swarn Kamal award along with “Dil to Pagal Hai” and “Lagaan”, says Sai who is also open to films.

Having done her bit in theatre under the direction of stalwarts like Sai Paranjpey and Amol Palekar, Sai is now looking for newer horizons. She also strongly defends the transformation which the world of TV is undergoing. “Cinema and television undergo changes in routine. The genre keeps changing. “Hum Log” would hardly fit into the modern idiom of TV. This is the age of hard fiction which carries shades of reality. As such, “Saara Akash” is much grounded to reality. It is not run of the mill production. I love my role as a contemporary Indian woman who strives for a balance between family and profession,” says Sai.

There is no dearth of talent at her end as she has imbibed enough from her father Debu Deodhar, the favourite cameraman of Amol Palekar. “My father was behind productions like “Prahaar”, “Anhad”, “Kairi”, “Ankahi” and “Aakriti”. My mother assisted Anmolji for eight years before starting off independently. From my parents I have imbibed the art of going slowly and steadily. New age directors assist for two years and feel they have earned enough name to go it alone. My mother, on the other hand, belongs to an age where film directors were required to sympathise with the medium absolutely, to know the grammar and science of it and then work to perfection.”

Last year Sai did another play titled “Mora Phulela” for Sai Parajpey. With theatre still on her mind, she is now heading for TV, a medium that has always inspired her imagination. “TV also reflects reality. What if it is not as glorified as cinema’s reality,” quips the actress.

Calligraphy is his sacred pursuit
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service,

Chandigarh, September 24
Sayeed Aftab Ahmed treats calligraphy more as a sacred pursuit that a fine art. Although there is no denying the unmistakable artistic charm of the realm, Ahmed’s works are better regarded for their proximity to tradition than for commercial edge.

It is incidental that his art is procured at phenomenal costs by heads of Islamic states who value the richness of his themes. His concepts flow from the Qoran-e-Pak, the most sought after being “Aayat Kursi”, which dwells on the 100 attributes of Allah and “Char Kul”, which features the Prophet’s verses.

A true follower of the calligraphic discipline as laid down by the fourth Caliph Hazrat Ali, he says: “This art is worship. It developed as a response to Islam’s denial to figurative creation. Prophet Mohammad himself had favourite writers who would inscribe his sermons and send them to as far off as Syria.”

Decorated with the coveted Pakistani Presidential Award for calligraphy, Ahmed keeps two names in the true calligraphic tradition. “My calligraphic name is Aftab Shah,” he mentions in an exclusive interview with the Tribune.

On a visit to India after decades, Shah brings in his fold the message of peace and of redemption from evil, as he says, “You would not have noticed by my work extolling peace resting in the backdrop of the frame which captures Pakistani President shaking hands with Atal Behari Vajpayee. President Musharraf procures our works as official gifts to the visiting Heads of States.”

At the heart of Shah’s pursuit is religion, as Hazrat Ali has demanded. “Religion is synonymous with peace. It never recognises violence. Evil is a consequence of religious misconception. My art preaches religion which the Prophet had evolved as a code of ethics for life. I draw from the Qoranic verses (kayads) which assert peace and spell rules for practice of mankind,” explains Shah who works with legendary Pakistani calligraphist Khurshid Gauhar Kalan, specimen of whose art permanently rests at the Royal Museum in Britain.

After learning the nuances of the art from Khurshid Gauhar, Shah developed a working relationship with his mentor. Together, they have pioneered leather calligraphy in Pakistan. Explains Shah, who took up calligraphy at 60 years of age: “An agriculturist that I am, I have a lot of time to my disposal. I wanted to put my time to constructive use. So I went under the tutelage of Gauhar, who is younger than me. I was fascinated by the sacred dimensions of calligraphy which originated in the Stone Age.”

From paper to leather, Shah changed the mediums consciously. “Duplication was bothering us. So we started working on leather which is tough to master because of endless pits. If a drop of ink falls on the base, the work is ruined. But we developed a formula as to what amount of ink would be perfectly suited for stylised writing on leather base.

“Recently we introduced colour by providing the leather base an oil colour coating. Kayads look fascinating on vibrant bases. No wonder people buy them at any cost,” says Shah who, along with Gauhar, also writes on camel bones.

Shah instructs youth in this tradition. Although Pakistani institutions have calligraphy as a stream, Shah values personalised instruction. “Calligraphy has great power. When works praising Allah enter homes, evil will have to abdicate its place.”

Besides spiritual verses, Shah indulges in stylised writings of verses by Iqbal, Ghalib and Rumi.