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Time for
The city has had a close association with the Grathwohls. Among the initial Germans to come here, they have
seen the city blossom and grown with it. They bid adieu after 10 years, with a promise to return...
The walls are bare but one can make out where the paintings used to be. All packed and ready to go. But if you ask them whether the prospect of going back home excites them, then clearly you got off on the wrong foot. “Lets not talk about it,” says Dieter O Grathwohls. It’s only when you look into his eyes that you see the pain. Of course, for someone who came to the city as a 28-year-old and spent most of his productive life practically growing up with the city, separation hurts. “This is my second home,” says Dieter. “In fact we feel so much at home here that it will be difficult for us to adjust to the German way of life,” adds wife Christina. Dieter and Christina came to Chandigarh to work with Groz Beckert Asia first in 1976. He stayed for four years, went back, returned in 1995 and has been here ever since. So what is he taking with him? “Images of true India,” says Dieter, telling how little people in Germany know about India. “There, people know only what they show on TV, that too mostly of disasters and catastrophes. What I am taking back with me is the true essence of India, its colour and gaiety,” he adds. An engineer by training, Dieter also paints and makes his own frames. His 50 paintings are thematically Indian — he portrays women in traditional attires, landscapes that capture spring and a few modern paintings. “My subjects are Indian but the technique is based on the German school of painting,” he tells. But the main emphasis is on the framing. “I do my own framing,” announces Dieter. And that’s where the engineering background helps. Armed with technical knowledge, he uses brass and different alloys to make unique frames that add dimension to his works. “You will not see such frames anywhere,” he tells us with pride. Well, these are not the only things the couple is taking with them. “We learnt yoga and meditation here and we will spread it in Germany,” says Christina, the bigger yoga-enthusiast. “I used to be so bored when I joined Dieter in 1976. He would go off to work or paint. That was the time yoga came into my life,” she remembers. Christina is more of a nature lover. “I love being with nature and this house gave me ample opportunity,” she says, showing us the lovely garden in her Sector 3 house that she nurtured over the years. While Christina spent her years learning how to cook matar paneer, rajmah, chole, chicken curry and meat kofta to perfection, Dieter was learning how to work in an Indian set up. “The work culture here is very different from Germany. It took me years to get moulded and command the system.” But what pains him most is seeing the youth running to foreign shores. “One should go abroad, learn there and come back. India provides a lot of scope. The growth of the city over the years proves my point,” he says. “We will soon be back with our paintings,” he adds. Dieter’s theme may be a little different now because his artistic inspiration would come from his hometown, Sigmavingen, but we are sure he will retain his Indian, rather Chandigarh flavour, in his paintings and life. So long, Tschuss!
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City fashionistas are dressing up to recreate Mandira’s charm of the last World Cup,
It was during the 2003 World Cup that Mandira Bedi for the first time gave cricket buffs a taste of more than the game. Viewers would sit glued to their TV sets to catch the action both on and off field. And, well in this series too the scene is no less different for even if the Men in Blue did manage to get knocked out of the cricket mahayudh, Mandira’s blouses are surely bowling us over! Though wrapped in classy saris this series, her blouses continue to draw attention. While the actress-turned-anchor-cum-cricket moderator is experimenting with newer stuff, the city is trying to recreate her old charm by sporting noodle-strap tops. And if you have doubts, then drive down to the university or college grounds and you’ll catch a glimpse of the changing fashion scene. Girls walking down the corridors in high-heel ankle boots teamed with skirts and spaghetti tops is a common sight on the campus. “Mandira wore them to fame and we are carrying on the legacy,” says Charu, a college student from the city. Her outfits depicted a daring attitude and without really exposing the dresses lent a right kind of oomph and glamour to her persona is what the city fashionistas feel. And well, when Charu sports the noodle strap tops she sure has guys drooling but that really does not bother this teenager. “Our outfits represent our bindaas attitude”, says Neeta, another collegegoer. Their friend Neha has just picked up three off-shoulder tops and she plans to wear the stuff to not just her friend’s engagement ceremony but also at a club party over the weekend. Explaining the trend is a young city-based fashion designer Roop, she says: “The spaghetti-strap top are the most popular these days”. “And with Mandira Bedi endorsing the creation, there is no stopping the crowd”, she adds. Roop says you can sport the outfit of your choice by spending anywhere between Rs. 250 and Rs. 3000. Vanishing fast off the shelves, at present is the strap-shoulder tops, she tells. And, well you can even get hold of them without burning a hole in your pocket for they are available at the rehri market. So folks, even if you have decided to not switch on the television after India’s unexpected departure from the World Cup, you can still catch on Mandira’s fashion statement being replicated by our city’s fashionistas.
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No longer upwardly mobile Not all Chandigarh youngsters have gone gaga for gadgets. After surveying countless youths around the city, a surprising number of them are no longer crazy for flashy and expensive mobile phones. A significant portion of today’s youth prefer cheaper phones with limited features and strictly use their phones for calling and messaging family and friends. The desire to change their phones with every passing season seems to have now. They will rather hold onto one phone for several years. Those who do purchase costly mobiles are actually technology junkies, instead of status-conscious members of society. They seek out the latest technology for the ability to upload music onto their phones, click photographs, or surf the net, and have no interest in impressing their peers. Some youngsters use the most basic phones that cost about Rs 2,000. Saayna Singh, a 19-year-old BA student, uses a simple Nokia hand set. She says she would never change her phone to follow a trend and she is not attracted to expensive phones endorsed by celebrities. “I will only change my phone if it stopped working or if I lost or broke it.” She looks for voice clarity, a long-lasting battery, and durability. “I do not look for special features and I use my phone only for practical reasons.” Law student Sukhmani Pajwa, 20, has been using her dad’s old Motorola phone for the past few years. “The look of a phone is not important. I am happy as long as I can call and send and receive messages. My phone has a camera feature but I never use it. Spending money on a phone is such a waste. I’d rather spend it on shopping.” SDDIET student Sachin Gandhi, 23, uses a Motorola L7I because it is relatively cheap (Rs 7,300), has various features, and is slim and light-weight. “I think practically when I shop for a phone.” He says many of his friends are bored of costly cells. “They have kept very expensive phones in the past, but have now realised that they are of no use to them. They have found all the features available in much cheaper phones.” He ensures that the phone of his choice has good quality speakers to listen to music, Internet access, Bluetooth, a data cable, high resolution, and a fine quality camera. DAV student Isha Garg, 23, is a music fanatic, so is always looking for a phone that can satisfy her musical needs. Her phone should allow her to upload songs onto it and it should have premium sound quality so she can listen to music at a high volume. She keeps up with the latest trends and will only buy a phone that will fulfill all of her technological needs, she says. MBA student from Delhi, Harsh Jasroti, 21, bought his Nokia N70 mobile for Rs 17,500, but says he selected it because of its advanced features, not its look or brand name. He accesses the Internet from his phone, takes high-resolution photographs, and listens to over 350 songs. “The phone has a big screen so it makes it easy to check my emails. Also, I recently used the camera feature in DAV College with my friends to click some photos, which I will keep as memories. And when I’m alone I listen to music to put me in a good mood.” He says he does not change his phone regularly and will keep his present mobile for a number of years.
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Vikal’s poetry on stage
But then, when we were told that the play had been written and directed by Parnab Mukherjee, things fell into place. Though it was quite sometime back — four years to be precise — Chandigarh had seen this talented Kolkata-based theatre activist working on the poems of Paash, with the local Chandigarh Mafia, the memory is still fresh. Parnab has the way of making sense in the most thought-provoking way — Evom Inderjeet, Diary of Irom Sharmila and Mahasweta Devi Se Darta Hai Kaun. “This particular play is to make Kumar Vikal known to the rest of the country,” says Parnab. In this 55-minute play, Parnab will use footage from all over the country to show Bhagat Singh and also use Kumar Vikal poetry. Here, Parnab will perform in the foyer of the Government Museum and Art Gallery, Sector 10, on Wednesday making the show interactive one. “Even if I use an auditorium to stage my show, I use it as a space and hence even the audience becomes part of my set up.” A journalist by profession (he works with Sampark, a magazine) and actor-script writer-director by hobby, Parnab has the knack to relate to situations and present them in his own way. “Both my profession and theatre are related in the sense that they focus on identity issues,” he says. And if identity issues are there, what other place better than the North-East to work on. Parnab too could not resist the lure of the seven sisters and made Manipur his base. Parnab has in his own way been rebelling against the Armed Forces’ Special Power Act for ten years now. The Kaifi Azmi Foundation, which brings him back to us, has some more good news. Rani Balbir Kaur, the chairperson of the north India chapter, tells us that it is soon going to be registered. “Though our focus will primarily be on the promotion of art and culture, we will also focus on educating slum children,” says Rani Balbir. With renowned names like Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, Shaukat Baba Azmi expected to make frequent trips to the city in future, Rani’s dream of initiating a ‘cultural globalisation’ does not seem so distant after
all!
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Makeover Magic
It has already helped Spanish couple Debra Hawkins and Michael Morris lose 10 years of their age. After shedding those extra inches, crisp currency notes, and the middle-age image, the two are all set to savour their salad days, once again. And they are not the only ones going in for a complete resurrection. At Fortis multi-specialty hospital in Mohali alone, over 350 looks-conscious people underwent cosmetic surgery in just one year. A majority of them were foreigners and non-resident Indians eager to go for a makeover. “From tummy-tucks to facelifts and liposuction of arms and back, so many of them went under the knife to defeat slow-consuming age in the one-sided game,” says Plastic Surgeon with Fortis Dr Krishan M. Kapoor. “For, age does matter!” Flashing a broad smile he elaborates: “The emphasis has changed now from beauty to youth. Most people going in for cosmetic surgery are eying young, rather than good, looks as youngness itself is a sign of beauty.” Only recently, a nurse from the UK underwent complete makeover at Fortis just because she wanted to look as young as the other staff members in the organisation she was working in, asserts Dr Kapoor. Sitting next to him in the hospital lobby with his face still wrapped up in bandages, Michael cannot help but agree. “With employers preferring youngsters over the elders, the not-so-young are left with no other option but to try hard for going back to the summer of their youth.” In his and Debra’s case, it was not the job, but desire to lose the ‘miserable, tired image’ that made them part with their hard-earned money. “Call it a run-up to our 10th anniversary celebrations in September this year or flight of fancy, we wanted to look exactly the way we were when we came to Goa in 1997 soon after tying the knot,” says 43-year-old Debra. “We tried exercising, but that did not help. So we opted for cosmetic surgery”. She has got her lower face lifted; besides undergoing liposuction of stomach, arms and the back area. Seventeen years elder to her, Michael has also got his face lifted; besides going in for liposuction of the neck, chest and the waist. The entire process has taken less than a fortnight and just about Rs 5.50 lakh, including traveling and lodging. “We chose India through an agent because the people out here are absolutely friendly and the doctors are wonderful. And the treatment is inexpensive. In the UK, the USA, or any other English speaking country, we would have paid much more for getting our looks back”. Now who says money can’t do wonders! saurabh@tribunemail.com
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Haywire IT rocked. It had its epicenter in the hinterland. And it was of high magnitude on the ‘R’ scale. Yes, this is about the Great Quake Rumour that bestirred almost an entire city and state out of its state of somnolence recently. It achieved nothing short of a mass awakening. Obviously not of the social or political kind, though the rumour itself behaved typically like a sarkari promise. It raised great expectations, but failed to deliver. Though the ground didn’t finally oblige the doomsayers, several theories did gain ground. If a quake had once inspired Festinger to study rumour transmission and postulate his Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, the recent scare gave established theories a new spin. That practically the whole countryside spilled outdoors fearing a grave danger to life and property only proved that a rumour about a tremor is driven by its own Law of Gravity. The more grave the fear psychosis it generates, the greater currency it enjoys. The stronger the scare of a tectonic malfunction it creates, the higher the rating it achieves on the ‘R’ scale (an index of the intensity of a rumour). Undoubtedly, this bit of hearsay notched top ranking in the TRPs (total rumour performance), for it not only sent the gentry scurrying into parks in their vicinity, but also into the houses of divinity. If the believers were busy getting connected to higher beings, others remained more grounded, engaged instead in connecting to mortals on terra firma. They were governed by the Theory of Relative-ity. This involved establishing immediate communication with kith and kin to warn them of the impending shift in ground reality. Under this law, the circulation of the rumour was directly proportional to the relative concerns of the recipients. The more cell-stocked the population was, the more mobile the rumour was. The more cell-shocked the relatives got, the more cell-blocked the networks were. And the faster the rumour travelled! With so many denizens walking up and down the outdoors, squeaking animatedly into their mobile phones, the talk did walk pretty fast. Its speed of transmission must have given rivals in the rumour fraternity a run for their money. For, it made people run for their money. Before fleeing, the multitudes darted towards the VIPs (very important possessions). Some made a dash for cash. Others looked hard for credit card. Some went for gold. Others plucked at prized objects. Obviously, booty lies in the eyes of the beholder. What was trivia for one was a treasure for another. If plastic money was of value to the scurrying elders, plastic pokemons and beyblades were dear to the hurrying kids. Never mind if the status of a VIP was in disproportion to its real worth! When the ground beneath your feet is expected to go for a spin, the Law of Disproportionate Assets too goes for a toss. It’s another matter that Mother Earth didn’t ultimately do a jig and jive. Still, for several hours, the quake rumour managed to thrive. Which only goes to show, every rumour has its day.
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Little
Interview: Suneil Shetty Suniel Shetty aka Anna, the 46-year-old actor and producer will now be seen in yet another role. The fitness freak will be anchoring perhaps the country’s biggest health show. Biggest Loser Jeetega, a reality health show will be on air on TV in May. Tell us about the show? I am very excited about my association with such a unique show. The concept of fitness and good health has always attracted me and nothing can be more satisfying than seeing people all across India leading a fit and healthy lifestyle. I hope the format that has been successful in attracting millions of viewers in other countries will change television viewing in India too. What is the background of this health based show? The show owes its inspiration to a US show, ‘The Biggest Loser’ which was aired in October 2004 and kick-started a fitness revolution among the viewers not only in the US but several other countries including Australia. (It has been running successfully for several seasons in Australia now). The international format of the show is owned by Reveille LLC, who have also produced successful shows like “Ugly Betty and “The Office”. In India, the show will be produced by Rahul Agarwal of Star Entertainments. Are you doing any films at present? Right now, I am not doing any film. I am concentrating only on this show. I hope the viewers like the concept of the show and it creates a revolution in the field of health and fitness. — Dharam Pal
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Matka chowk Our neighbourhood has a night watchman. The neighbourhood association pays for him to walk around in the night and thoko his danda on the road intermittently to make his diligence evident. When I first arrived in the city, I failed to see any significance of having a night watchman. What could he do if armed robbers broke into the house? In view of the fact that this guy is a particularly skinny Nepali with a sweet smile and twinkling eyes and emitted no menace, I thought the entire idea of him being the watch guard was quite funny. But, the Chandigarh residents swore by having a watchman and many of them told me of his usefulness, although it seems that when it is pay time every month, many have trouble locating their wallets. In the end, I got used to seeing him making the rounds, in his monkey-cap. When the night got dense and the night birds started screeching, I heard him passing by. On nights, when I could not sleep, I lay in bed and listened to his tehl and felt less lonely. On terribly cold nights, when I heard him pass by, I shivered just thinking of him being out there braving the chill. Once, he actually caught a bunch of thieves. Apparently the raddiwallas, who roam around during the day with white sacks were trying to scale the gates of a house in the neighbourhood. He single-handedly chased them away. I happen to know him quite well now. He never misses his duty – even when it is pouring thunderously or the wind is about to blow away the muffler. He takes his job very seriously. He is a good provider to his beautiful wife and kids, who live in a remote village of Nepal. Many folks have tried to lure him into domestic position, to no avail. He sleeps all day and walks all night. In the US, people have electronic security systems that are terribly efficient. The red and green buttons glow on a number pad and one press of those would set the howling alarm off or would bring the police to your house in a screeching car in three minutes. Sometimes, my fingers used to itch to press the buttons, just to get a glimpse of the Rescue 911 kind of drama that would unfold in minutes. Now, I am used to our night watchman — very low-tech and slow moving. He can provide no assurance of security, but I know his name. On clear nights, I can go out to the verandah, call out his name and he will come running. He also helps us to extricate the shuttlecock from the high branches of the Gulmohar tree. I guess, it is a good thing after all that we have him as a night watchman.
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write to Renee I am a 28-year-old girl working as a graphic designer in an advertising company. I realise that in order to grow and prosper I need to change my job, but I do not have the courage to do it. I was growing up knowing how important money was and my mother was always telling me to be happy with what I have and not constantly keep striving for more. My job is well paying and gives me security Help me. Anuradha Mehra Please step out of your old limiting belief system. In today’s world creative people are accepted with their new ways of thinking and changing, and money should be treated as a guage of your talent. You must feel a certain level of professional satisfaction, otherwise even your creative abilities will start drying up. Your parent’s generation was a different era with more misapprehensions about the social system. Try and step out of your limiting conditioning and accept the challenge of the modern fast-track world. Maintain a balance in your inner and outer world and prosperity will surety come to you. I am a 25-year-old man and the youngest of four siblings. I am fed up with being treated as a kid. I am becoming intolerant and short tempered. I get the feeling that I am being mistreated and feel sorry for myself. I also feel a lot of anger towards my siblings. Is there anyway I could change my attitude? Avtar Tohana Do not make your life miserable unnecessarily. Having brothers and sisters is a blessing. Do not get into sibling rivalry. It is difficult to be treated like a kid at your age but then remember you are identifying too much with your ego. You are unnecessarily building up a whole sequence of questions and answers for yourself. Your ego is getting pampered by putting yourself in this martyr mould and enjoying the self-pity that you are going through. Learn to get in touch with your inner-self. No need to be in competition with your brothers and sisters. Just be yourself. I am a woman of 38 years and have just recovered from an operation a few months ago. Before this I was a very healthy woman. But now I am constantly in a state of ill health. Do you think it is a psychological condition which is leading to all this? Ameeta Sharma The old adage “health is wealth” is definitely true. If the body is not in a constant state of well being it affects our state of mind. A whole set of negative thought patterns can also trigger off a state of physical ailments. It is possible that you have started feeling sub consciously burdened about something. May be your body is looking for some rest which would not be possible if you get back to your normal routine of activity. So spend some time on inner reflection and see what is causing this process in you. Also be careful about what you eat. See a good dietician and put yourself on a healthy diet. A balanced body and mind will leave you feeling better and healthier.
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In terms of sheer weight, this could be the Big Papa of all reality shows on Indian television. Where else will one be able to see 16 overweight contestants with a combined weight of a whopping 2038 kgs slugging out to shed as many kilos as possible in just four months. SaharaOne Television’s ‘Biggest Loser Jeetega’, the unique reality show that draws its inspiration from the US show ‘ The Biggest Loser’, will hit the TV screen in May. It will showcase the lives of 16 obese contestants and their journey to fitness. The contestants will stay at a specially-designed house in Mumbai. Well, the contestants apart from undergoing stressful intensive training will also have to curb their desire to eat goodies while at the show. The show will be hosted by the bollywood actor Suniel Shetty who is himself a fitness freak. “The main purpose of the show is to inspire the entire nation, which is fast turning into the obesity capital of the world to follow the contestants and shed those extra kilos”. Now, that’s what one may call ‘loosing’ like winners! — TNS
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First Day
First Show Bollywood has delivered cross-culture films in every phase and decade. Vipul Shah in Namaste London does just that and brings up genuine problems of NRIs. But this much-hyped, star-studded bonanza turns out to be an average film. Namaste… draws heavily from films of the 80s. The story has shades of Pardes, Banarsi Babu and Abhimanyu. The story does have some twists and turns, but somehow the zing is missing. Vipul and Akshay’s chemistry may be just average this time, but the locales are stunning. The film explores foreign outdoor locations and Indian emotions to the maximum. Full marks to cinematographer Jonathan Bloom for excellent camerawork. Himesh Reshammiya seems to have regained his Midas touch and succeeds in revamping his Sufi pop style and imports the expertise of musical genius Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and UK-based rock group RDB. Katrina Kaif looks beautiful. She is a good choice for the role and does full justice to it. Akshay does what is required of him and breathes life into his character. Upen Patel, despite his killer looks, plays second fiddle to Akshay. Rishi Kapoor and Javed Sheikh are just okay. Namaste… is definitely not in the league of previous Vipul flicks, but it is not boring either. Watch it if you don’t have anything better to do. Catch it at Batra, Chandigarh, Fun Republic, Manimajra and Suraj, Panchkula. — Dharam Pal
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BIG 92.7 FM, got the entire city working towards a cleaner and greener city beautiful. The ‘City Banao Pretty’ campaign was flagged off by releasing 927 balloons by some of the honourable dignitaries of the city and moved on to cover various spots in the city. Painting competition on the said theme, clean up acts of the surroundings undertaken by the students and a drive to clean various parts of the city along with the sweepers of the Municipal Corporation were part of the campaign. Said, Mohit Sharma, Cluster Head, BIG 92.7 FM, “The medium of radio helped us to gather support for the campaign”. During the 17-hour programming from the radio station, prominent people and celebrities were honoured as ‘Hero of the Hour’. — TNS
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Health tip of the day
The computer screen should always be at the level of the
eyes. To confirm, close eyes and then open slowly. If the gaze is at the centre of the screen then the level is
perfect. Raising or lowering the screen may be beneficial. — Dr Ravinder Chadha |
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It may take a while to swallow India’s defeat at the World Cup, but all is not lost. The lustre of Mandira Bedi’s jewellery for instance. A Mumbai-based jewellery designer, Roopa has exclusively designed for Mandira. Her pieces are now becoming the topic of every avid cricket fan’s coffee table talk. Roopa’s latest creation show for a cross-cultural fusion of Indian and European styles, making every piece the right choice for The World Cup. The contemporary pieces have a lot of colour and texture. Had to be. After all Roopa. had Mandira in mind when she designed them. Though Team India could not cast a spell, Roopa
certainly did! —TNS
When we were told about the play the local chapter of the Kaifi Azmi Foundation would present here, we had a difficult time digesting it. With a name like Every Activist Is River… Bhagat Singh, Kumar Vikal Changing Chandigarh it was not just a mouthful, but abstract too. 