Music to ears
The Government Museum and Art Gallery is all set to introduce the audio guide system to assist visitors
Parbina Rashid

It was during my cultural transmigration when I made a major goof-up. I had gone to cover an exhibition of paintings by the legendary Sobha Singh at Punjab Kala Bhavan. After seeing the exhibits, I asked the organisers if I could meet the artist. “You are a bit late, he died in 1986,” I was told. I was red-faced.

But times are changing and even first-time visitors would now not need to go through such embarrassing situations. At least while visiting the major museums like the Government Museum and Art Gallery in Sector 10 and the National Gallery of Portraits in Sector 17. The authorities are set to introduce the audio guide systems to assist visitors.

Get Set Go

The project has been conceptualised by museum director V.N. Singh, who is just back from the Rubin Museum of Art in New York after taking part in an exhibition on Sikh Art I See No Stranger: Early Sikh Art and Devotion.

“It (the project) has the administration’s approval,” says a beaming Singh, who went around all major museums in New York before zeroing in on the audio guide project. “A visitor would be able to rent a tape player and a pair of earphones. The player would have a pre-recorded commentary on the background of each work,” he says. Initially, the system will be introduced in the Sector 10 museum. The commentary will be recorded in three languages — English, Hindi and Punjabi. “We are planning to introduce this system this Baisakhi,” says Singh.

Welcome Move

Baisakhi is a nice time to start, says Gunninder Mohini Lamba, a retired teacher who is excited about the project. “I had recently gone to the museums in Washington DC where they have special rooms for audio-visual presentations on different topics,” says Lamba.

“In fact even at the Statue of Liberty one can hire a telephone system that narrates the personal experiences of holocaust victims and makes an interesting learning process. It’s good that we are too going to have similar devices at our museums,” she adds.

Photographer Diwan Manna, who has had similar experiences at museums abroad, is elated too. “It is not always feasible to hire a personal guide at museums. With such devices one can move around at one’s own pace in the museum. For one, one can always rewind and forward the tapes,” he says. But he feels introducing one or two foreign languages like French and Spanish would greatly help foreign visitors.

However, Renee Singh, an avid traveller, feels that the commentary in languages could wait. “These telephonic devices are helpful in not just educating one about the contents of the museum but also in how to go about the museum,” she says, sharing her experiences at the Ufficii Museum, Florence, where she got lost a couple of times till she picked up an audio guide.

Things are definitely looking up for the museum. With the light and sound project and the audio guide proposal, one can expect to see this deserted corner of the city abuzz.

Music from the soul

Unlike most classical artists the fascination for music struck an inquisitive Ragini Sarna, at the age of 14 years, when she accompanied her music aficionado father for a classical music concert in Benaras. “I was totally absorbed in the renditions by Guru Debashsish Dey evoking a unique feeling in my mind, which inspired me to seek his tutelage” recalled the 1981 born Ragini Sarna. As my guru learnt from music wizards of different gharanas, I was lucky to imbibe the best embellishments from the rich repertoire of classical compositions.

“The thumri, chaiti, dadra and bhajan are my favourites in light classical stream, says Ragini. Since I was a late starter, I had to work very hard not only to compete with the fellow disciples but also to excel at prestigious music festivals like the Ganga Utsav, Sankat Mochan and many more,” she says. “I was indeed nervous to share the platform with the legendary names in music but they always encouraged and supported me,” she says.

“Now a lot of youngsters are taking to classical music in Benaras, thanks to the concerted efforts of Spic-Macay and other societies engaged in the promotion of classical arts and our rich cultural heritage,” says Ragini.

She maintains that the interest in classical stream of art comes through listening but she laments that such opportunities are not provided either in curriculum or on TV channels, which liberally promote cricket, fashion and films. Back from a classical music performance at Kulu’s Shaam Sangeet Utsav she gave vocal recital along with violinist Asghar Hussain in a classical music concert organised by Triveni Sangeet Sabha and Delhi Sangeet Natak academy.

— S.D. Sharma

Hues of simplicity
People and Places is greatly influenced by Jaspal Singh’s place of birth, Assam 
Smriti Sharma

Vibrant hues, well-defined forms in bright yellows and indigo blues celebrate Jaspal Singh’s latest collection People and Places. And then this humble artist likes to describe his compilation as subdued! Jaspal’s tryst with watercolours began when he learnt painting as an art and perhaps this explains his bent towards the medium. Fascinated by the theme People and Places, his collection of 28 paintings is a statement in artistic simplicity.

Jaspal was born in Assam and his paintings carry the influence of the place – be it the faces of the men and women he has so minutely painted that even the small eyes and nose are clearly visible. “I intended to bring out the plainness in the lives of these tribal people,” articulates Singh.

Besides the Assamese faces, one can see impressions of the holy cities of Mathura and Vrindavan in his works. Then there are landscapes in combinations of blue and yellow hues unfolding the sacred visuals with temples intact.

Having been around for more than twenty years, it was an obvious choice for him to pick People and Places. “The theme is very vast. It covers just about everything,” avers the Mumbai-based artist.

Surprisingly, none of Jaspal’s paintings have individual titles. Instead, he describes them as diluted images. With a view to breaking the monotony of work, Jaspal stresses the need for incorporating versatility in artists. Little wonder then that besides painting, he makes terracotta sculptures.

Breaking the norms of following a certain set pattern, technique or school of drawing, the artist has developed his own style and technique for mastering his artwork. Consequently, the images appear overlapping.

Jaspal who has to his credit many solo and group exhibitions in India and abroad, including a group show in Stockholm, the annual exhibition of the Birla Academy in Kolkata and Look Through the Decade at Ravindra Bhawan. Jaspal appreciates works by Laxman Shrestha, Ganesh Pyne and Modi Gliani among his seniors.

With experimentation as the key, his works in acrylic on canvas present structural shapes and forms of people along with places communicating myriad words. Jaspal had exhibited a collection Images here last year.

(At Alliance Francaise, Sector 36, till March 3)

Stone fantasies 
Sculptors from across the length and breadth of the country put life into stone at Kalagram
S.D. Sharma

Cheers to women bartenders!

She flips the bottles with ease, juggles the glasses with élan and concocts the perfect cocktail to lift your spirits. Raise your toast to the Indian women bartenders. A male bastion until recently, bartending is increasingly becoming a popular career option for women in India.

So what is so attractive about bartending that’s pulling the fairer sex towards it? “It’s liberating. I enjoy partying and mixing drinks. So I decided to take it up professionally,” says Angha, who has been bartending in the national capital for two years.

Though not yet as popular as other career choices like medicine or engineering, bartending is slowly gaining momentum among the female crowd, especially in metros like Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore. For instance, Mumbai currently has at least 10 women bartenders in comparison to a mere two-three about two years ago.

Over the past year, bartending training institutes have been opened - one each in Chennai and Bangalore while Mumbai and New Delhi already have three. Shadbi Basu, who heads the School of Bartenders in Mumbai, says things have started looking upbeat since the time she started her institute in 1999. “There is better response now and people have stopped giving you those glares when you tell them that you are a bartender. But as always, there is space for improvement,” remarks Basu. Bartending, she says, is not popular as a profession among women but freelancing is definitely on the rise.

Amy Shroff, who has been bartending for the past three years in Mumbai, says she loves her job despite the hassles. “I think it’s your attitude that matters. If you are professionally trained, you will know how to handle difficult customers and sail through your profession,” she quips when asked about the safety concerns that discourage many from taking up this profession.

“In fact, I think bartending is one of the safest professions for women. Apart from the 14-20-inch bar that separates you from your customer, there are other male colleagues who will not tolerate any misbehaviour towards you. And then you have the bouncers. I think the safety factor is to be considered more while walking on the roads of Delhi or Mumbai,” says Amy.

Adds Basu: “The whole safety factor in case of women bartenders is blown out of proportion. Why isn’t it considered in case of women in housekeeping in hotels or those working till late night in restaurants and coffee shops? These days more and more educated women are entering this field just like they are in any other like the defence forces.”

And of course, it pays well too. Amy and her friend Delnaz, who have been bartending for quite some time, say one can take home anything up to Rs.40,000 per show. Agrees Verma, who says that about 10-15 girls from his institute have gone abroad to places like Dubai and Switzerland to pursue their dreams because of the complications here. But for many, the ray of hope for this profession here has become brighter in recent years. — IANS

The Science of Art
Parbina Rashid

Saurabh Narang’s debut exhibition at the Government Museum and Art Gallery, which opened this week, is all about evolution. Not the Darwinian kind but the evolution of the artist as an artist. So what we see is a collection of 51 paintings, some of them evolving for the past two decades. Some showing the change in the thought process of the creator while others showing the change in the technicalities he had employed.

A self-taught artist from Delhi, Narang’s paintings come as a refreshing change, not just for the fine texture done with minutest brush strokes and blending of colours, but the subject matter too. One gets to see a lot of science and literature; the science half coming from various optical theories that create patterns on his canvas and the literature bit coming in form of long titles that read like A walk beneath the alley of dreams, A cluster of wings for souls to fly, Young girls play a feminine game between beam and under a blue beam, and so on.

“Art and physics are two different sides of the same coin,” the artist’s explanation comes helpful, as we try to ponder upon his philosophy. “We understand colours through Spectrum and Vibgyor and when a beam of light falls on the ground, it makes geometric patterns,” he helps.

Well, we do get to see a lot of geometric patterns too, buildings and cities which remind us of Corbusier’s creations, all triangles and rectangles. “Since I decided to come to Chandigarh with my first-ever exhibition, I thought bringing such paintings will be relevant. In his paintings of buildings, which he has captured mostly as a whole and sometimes in a cross section, one gets to feel the space around. And the artist has achieved that by using black colour.

As we try to keep track on the evolution of the artist, we come across three marked phases which move from figurative to abstract and currently semi-abstract with forms occupying the centre-stage like Young girls play a feminine game… and his recent Moon series, which he describes as “the original satellite which is the mode for sorts of communication, including love and affection.”

“I may have gone through different phases in my creative endeavour but you will see that the element of intrigue and mystery is maintained throughout,” he says. But what strikes a casual onlooker is texturing that gives a layered affect. “Yes. I am competing with the computer. I want to show the world that a hand can achieve the same effect of pixels. One just has needs time and patience.”

He obviously has it. For it took him a good 15 years to complete some of his paintings. “That was done on purpose. For one thing, I wanted my ideas to mature over the years, but mostly I wanted my paper to mature. The texture I wanted can come only through the process of aging,” he tells.

Well, looking at the outcome we say the wait was worthwhile!

(On till February 28 at the Government Museum and Art Gallery, Sector 10)

Sibling chemistry 
Smriti Sharma

They are the face of contemporary fashion in India and together this designer brother duo has been creating waves. After representing the country in prestigious Honk Kong Fashion Week three years ago, the duo is back in action. Meet Shantanu and Nikhil, all set to showcase their collection for the first time in the ongoing Patiala Heritage Festival 2007.In a tête-à-tête, the duo shares notes on some known and unknown facets of the world of fashion design.

The sibling chemistry is striking. So how is it to work together, is the obvious query? “Our roles are well defined in the sense it’s a perfect combination of art and commerce. If Nikhil is taking care of the creative part, I look out the business dealings and vice-versa”, avers Shantanu, brushing aside all possibilities of sibling challenge. But like everyone else, a pinch of regular brainstorming and confrontations are bound to happen.

“For any Indian designer, to showcase his designs internationally is a matter of great pride and at the same time a whole new learning experience,” affirms Shantanu recalling Hong Kong fashion week. “The opportunity might not have fetched deals but we moved up in fashion terms and so did our information curve on global trends and cuts”, he continues.

For Shantanu who pursued MBA from Ohio University, fashion is all about breaking the boundaries. “Its more to do with an individual’s taste and style than the ongoing trends.” Commenting on the latest trend of the old styles making a comeback, the duo believes fashion takes a U-turn. “ The look of the early 40’s and 50’s and even the twenties is in with a contemporary touch to lend the futuristic look”, avers Nikhil.

So, the feminity and romance that dominated the look of Indian women during the past two seasons will be replaced by sexiness’ of a strong modern independent woman? After showcasing their collection in Lakme India Fashion week, the duo would be unveiling a bit of all three of their lines in Heritage festival including Men’s wear diffusion, womens’ wear diffusion and Western wear couture.

Inspired by the Maharaja’s of yore for men’s wear, the focus is on well-fitted silhouettes for men. So the men’s collection includes Indian and woven jacquards and brocades along with leather, wool and suede. Jackets, flounced tunics and tops constitute men’s collection.

For the first time, male models would sashay down the ramp in outfits done in pink and chocolates hues along with the beiges, browns and golds, keeping in mind the heritage of the royal city.

Inspired by Indianness, rich and delicate fabrics including chiffon silks, crepes, silk and georgettes have been used for creating striking designs and patterns in cocktail sarees, dupattas and churidaars with intricate appliqué work, foil hangings and gold dust work on them. From vibrant Indian collection to subdued, serene western outfits, all is set for the show to be a combination of east meets west. “ The western lines are very European with clean cuts and detailing, informs Shantanu.

After draping legendary Amitabh Bachhan in smart, well-fitted, chic jackets in KBC earlier, the duo recently had the heartthrob Hrithik Roshan zooming on bikes in three of the jackets designed by them in Dhoom 2. Nevertheless, unlike many designers of their league, the brothers are not too keen on designing for films.

Funny Side Up
Humour is the middle name of Chetna Vaishnavi, a microbiologist, who has authored a number of joke books
Parbina Rashid

What is common between microbiology and jokes? One would say they are poles apart. But add Chetna Vaishnavi’s name to it and it becomes Jokes Apart. Yes, this is the name of the latest book by this microbiologist who has authored 11 books on different subjects.

Looking at her, serious and businesslike, sitting behind that imposing desk in her department at PGI, it is difficult to relate her to the satires she has penned down, three in total — Hillarious Moments, Laughing Stock and Jokes Apart.

“In fact I have been writing jokes ever since I was 12,” says Chetna. She had published quite a few of them in local newspapers too. Our funny lady comes from a Kashmiri family where reading was believed to be the only respectable way of passing time. “So we read all that was available and to escape the seriousness of the words, I started writing jokes,” she tells us. And the inspiration comes from day to day happenings. “In fact most of the time I pick up themes from our conversation at home.” She has a grown up son and a daughter, who according to Chetna, share her funny side.

Well, as one would expect from a Ph.D in Microbiology, Chetna does have a serious side to her personality, for its not just joke books that decorate her book shelf. Her other published works include Reflections, Ripples, Rhyme and Reason, Better for Verse—all poetry collections, Fragile Realm, a play, Guldasta—poems in Hindi and Dhadkan, a song book.

“In fact many of the songs that I have written have been sung by our artistes during cultural functions at PGI,” says a beaming Chetna. You may wonder how is it possible for one person with a hectic job that involves teaching, research and diagnostic works, to write so much, then Chetna simplifies it for you, “For writing mood is more important than time.” And when does she have time to get into the right mood? “When my family members go out of the house, I sit down with my pen,” she says. “In fact writing and listening to music are the two things that make me relax.”

Now what Chetna is looking forward is to write a science fiction. “I have a rough idea about the story line but there is a little research to do,” says the author. A little probing into the subject and we come to know that the plot will be based on the PGI and so will be the characters. “But I will write it only after I retire from here.” We sure get the picture!

La leather
Anuradha Shukla

leather is undoubtedly your lifestyle partner. Giving company to your feet or carrying everything important for you in a bag. The animal skin is how man began his journey towards civilisation, covering himself in leather. Civilisation may want you to move on to all things non-leather but for the true fashion conscious, the charm of the sturdy leather is indispensable.

Da Milano Italia, the brand that stands for style with hand-crafted leather from Milan makes its entry into the city to make your designer dreams come true.

Designed in Milan and hand crafted in Baddi in Himachal Pradesh by deft artisans from South India, the leather range is what fantasies are made of. See it for yourself at the store, barely a few days old, opposite Neelam Cinema in Sector 17. The range has everything from shoes to accessories to exotic bags and travel bags here. There is promise of more to come as the basement is getting ready to store designer collection for men. The next few months will also see a new store opening in Panchkula and Amritsar.

For prices are a little steep, starting with Rs 2,500. But the brand will soon launch a new range to fit the middle-class pocket. ‘Fiore’ and the leather delights will be up for grabs for Rs 1200 to 1500, says head retail person Kamal Oberoi.

Flashy, funky, stylish and fun is how one can describe the hot metallic toned bags in different sizes. Apt for parties, the bags are in rare yellows and muted silver shades. If a touch of fur is more of your style, the Italian cow fur on bags in colours—original, black and browns, delicately used on the whole body of the purses or minimal use on the purses is all yours to choose from. With design schools from Italy giving you snake skin, croco-print and denim embossing on leather, the range is surely ‘the pick’ for the young crowd ready to stand out in a crowd.

The most striking feature, however, is the size of the bags. With big bags in vogue all over and best suited to match the inches in height. The bigger hand bag can be your travel bag too, but there is a whole range to choose from the travel bag range here. For more than a five grand, the choicest pieces will make you stand out while holidaying at your favourite destination. The designer range claims affordable prices and comes with a lifetime warranty. 

Dreamer
Priya Gill

A small-town boy with big dreams is creating waves in the Bollywood, and so can you. With three films under his belt and appearances in TV serials, music videos, and big-budget TV commercials, Mumbai-based actor and model, Sandy Sharhaan, passing through Chandigarh, tells us how. The Patiala-born entertainer said the road ahead would challenging, but one should not give up hope.

“In the beginning it is frustrating to get an entry, but with patience and hard work, it becomes rewarding.” Sandy worked in Chandigarh for several years in fashion shows, music videos and serials on Doordarshan and Sahara, before taking the plunge and shifting to the city of glitter.

After three months of perseverance, he got his big break in Punjabi film Yaaraan Naal Baharan in 2005 alongside Jimmy Shergill which was shot in Chandigarh. Sandy recently shot a television commercial with Shah Rukh Khan and Priety Zinta.

“It was a dream come true to work with Shah Rukh. I wish to work with him in a film someday.” He says he admires Shah Rukh as he is a self-made actor and also Kajol as she has proved that it is talent that matters, not looks. He advises aspiring actors to have professional training in theatre before moving to Mumbai.

He stresses the importance of being open, confident, energetic and ready to take on any role that comes one’s way. “Money is not the ultimate thing. Keep working hard and it will eventually pay off. Also, it is important to meet up with directors when they are in town. Give them your portfolio, ” is his piece of advice.

Every industry has its good and bad aspects, he adds, so it is crucial for girls to be alert while working their way into the industry. “Some girls are told lies and get lead astray. They should be aware of what goes on around them.”

Sandy admits that the casting couch practice is prevalent in the industry, especially in fashion scenario

The upcoming actor is busy shooting for two films, which will be released later this year. The first one is a Hindi comedy called Back to the Honeymoon and a Punjabi film Watna ton Door is also in the making.

Although, Sandy has tasted success, he still has a long way to go before becoming a household name. “I want people to remember me as a good actor and say that he had his own style.”

And this dreamer asks you to dream big for they might come true!

Anoushka’s a cat person

Gen-next sitarist Anoushka Shankar, here to promote the cause of animals, says she is fundamentally “a cat person”. Asked which is her favourite animal, she promptly replied, “Oh cats, I have three now at home and at one time we even had 10.” Anoushka, shooting for campaign by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), donned the costume of “a big cat - a tigress” while doing a photo session in an outfit designed by Sandeep Khosla.

“My mother and I found ourselves always rescuing stray cats and bringing them home,” she said. “But she has a dog too back home in San Diego.” Anoushka expressed great regret “at the way animals are treated on the streets of India.”

She said she associated herself with PETA about three years ago, and was introduced to the organisation by a friend of the family. Asked about her career and attaining fame, she said, “I do what I believe in and I do not let it detract me from my business.” — PTI

YOUTH SPEAK
Soulful love

What is love and what are feelings? What do we want in life and how do we achieve it? What is wrong and what is right? All these questions and many more come to our mind. A moral compass that can help us to maintain a course in the right direction. There is an inner force, which guide us to select right from the wrong. It develops into feelings. It generates love in us which is not visible— not a physical force but a spiritual one. This is a soul. This is love.

Our body is a home for soul. We believe that our soul is a micro part of God. It helps us to survive in this materialistic world. Soul is a conscious being. It has the thinking ability. It works day or night. It encourages us to do justice to others. It makes us love others.

It is the end point in the union of the beloved. Our soul gives us the power to understand love and helps us to become spiritual. Love is a unique feelings which is unconditional. When love comes from the soul, it is related to god. It was told by Budha, Jesus Nanak, Krishna, Rama, Shiva and many others. Soul is always alive. It changes only its home. So love is also eternal. — Ritu Guleria

FILM & FASHION
Kate’s confession

Her curvy figure and refusal to bow down before Hollywood’s obsession to stick thin actresses may have made her an idol for many women, but now Kate Winslet has admitted that once she too was under the weight reducing spell. In a revelation, which is set to dismay hordes of women who aspire to her laid-back attitude to size and shape, Winslet has confessed to using laxatives for three months to shed the pounds.

The 31-year-old star became hooked on the over-the-counter drugs, which relax the bowel and are often used by anorexia and bulimia sufferers. “When I was 15, I was nearly 14 stone. I was uncomfortable and self-conscious. I knew I wanted to be actress and was big. I became addicted to losing weight and went too far. I went through a three-month experimental laxative time which was absolutely awful,” she was quoted by the Daily Mail, as saying. Her confession will come as a shock to those who have admired her for flaunting her voluptuous figure over the years.

Britney runs away

Beleaguered pop diva Britney Spears has fled a rehabilitation centre for the second time in just one-week. The Toxic singer was admitted to a 30-day programme at the Promises Clinic in Malibu, but she left the facility in just 24 hours of checking in. Britney is learnt to have met top criminal defence lawyer Barry Tarlow after leaving the rehab, and stayed in his office for over an hour. Their meeting is thought to be concerning the singer’s custody battle for her two kids with her estranged husband Kevin Federline, reports the Sun. Many believe that she may have had her head shaved to avoid drug testing as part of the custody battle, following revelations of her addiction to ecstasy and cocaine by her friends.

JLo in American Idol

Latino diva Jennifer Lopez is the latest star to sign on to appear on US hit reality competition American Idol. The singer is following in the footsteps of Prince and Mary J. Blige and will appear on the sixth season of the show on April 11. According to American publication ‘Star’, Anthony could also be joining his wife on the show. “It was Jennifer and Marc who approached American Idol, not the other way around,” a source was quoted by Contactmusic, as saying. Other high-powered celebrity guests this season include Diana Ross, Tony Bennett and Gwen Stefani.

Women’s emancipation

Aussie actress Nicole Kidman praised a United Nations fund set up to end violence against women, insisting it has made a massive difference to females worldwide. The Moulin Rouge star, who is the goodwill ambassador of the UN Development Fund For Women (UNIFEM), is delighted the organisation has helped the lives of countless people since it was set up 10 years ago. “What is so impressive is how (the women) are speaking out, helping one another and organising to achieve political and social change,” she was quoted. — ANI

Gurus go abroad

The Sikh Art and Film Foundation and the Sikh Foundation had organised I See No Stranger: Early Sikh Art and Devotion at the Rubin Museum of Art, New York. The exhibition, which started on September 18 and concluded on January 29, showcased paintings based on Sikh beliefs, philosophy and culture.

Fifty paintings were sent from the Government Museum and Art Gallery, Sector 10. V.N. Singh, the guest of honour at the concluding session, was happy about the interest the exhibition generated among Indians and Americans alike.

The past few years have seen a rise of interest in Sikh art world wide. It’s a matter of pridefor us to take part in such a prestigious exhibition, says Singh.