This summer bigger is better! The look of the season is loud, bold and confident and there is no room for the unadventurous or cowardly. Yes, we are talking about sunglasses. Defend your eyes with over-the-top and oversized sunglasses that make you feel and look like a movie star.

Not only are the shades large, but bling is also in. Frames are crystal-encrusted to sparkle in the sun. Extravagant designer sunglasses are gracing the shelves of shops across the city, but those who are budget conscious, need not fret. Smaller brands are also duplicating the chic look.

Made of chunky plastic, the shapes are jumbo squares and extra-large ovals, curved toward the head. Why do people prefer plastic these days? Ranpreet Singh of Weldon, Sector 17, says it is because they are more comfortable, lighter, and do not catch your hair when you put them on your head. White, pink, and red plastic frames are the hot new colours, which females are falling for this season, he says.

Rimless or half-rimmed glasses are also in demand, especially for guys, and the one-sheet lens look is most popular. Owner of Eye-to-Eye Chemists in Sector 10, Ankit Bansal says lenses like blue, hazel, pink, grey and brown, and the gradient look of the lens is in style.

Diesal, Gucci, Rayban, Vogue, and Prada are making vintage-styled shades like aviators and wraparounds from Rs 5,000 to 15,000. The cheaper local brand, Vintage, ranging from Rs 700 to 3,000, is also following the current trend.

Himalaya Opticals in Sector 9 recently launched their new range of exquisite designer sunglasses by Givenchy, Chopard, Salvatore Ferragamo, Daniel Swarovski, Gucci, Versace, and Mont Blanc ranging from about Rs 4,000 to 22,000.

For price-conscious people the store has launched a fresh collection of brands like Polo Club, Sprint and Lee Cooper. The prices are much more affordable at Rs 900 to 4,000 and open the trend up to a wider variety of customers. Lens materials being used to accompany these swanky frames are mineral glass and poly-carbonate, Rajinder Manocha of Big-Ben Optical Co. in Sector 17 says. The former is a tough material and not easy to scratch and poly-carbonate lenses are the trend these days as they can be multi-shaded.

Style-icon Jackie O is a huge inspiration this season with knockout frames, says manager of Espirit, Geet Sethi. “Animal prints are also the current flavour and popular among women from 22 to 35.” Grey, pink, white, black, brown, and animal printed Espirit sunglasses start at Rs 2,500. Tommy Hilfiger stocks mainly unisex glasses Rs 3,500 upwards. Step out and take your pick!

In the age of play stations and cartoons, is there a place for the age-old puppet in the child’s world? Smriti Sharma probes

Certain art forms are larger than life, so much so, that they transcend the boundaries of time and age and live forever. Puppetry is one of them. What started as a medium of entertainment gradually became one of the most successful forms of art in ancient times. Though, it has lost its position and essence over the years due to introduction of various other forms of entertainment but it is still alive in many parts of the world. A testimony to this was the Putul Yatra — first-ever puppet festival held in Chandigarh recently — that drew interests from all quarters. From children to elders, everyone seemed hooked to these diminutive and some life-size creations.

According to recordings of the history of puppetry, the use of these objects dates back thousands of years. The first probably were shadow-puppets, which are mentioned in Greek philosophy. If one looks at the history of puppetry, then one would find that in India the use of puppets dates to 5th century BC. The traditional puppetry was based on religious and historical themes only, telling the stories of kings, Gods and super natural events. Religious portrayals in puppetry developed in south India with shadow puppets performing stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata. Besides dealing with religious themes, Indian puppetry also conveyed useful messages from Panchatantra and other mythological and historical epics.

Coming to contemporary times, what remains to be seen is whether our jet age kids bred on a heavy dose of Pokemon, play station games and internet are willing to soak in the pleasures of watching puppets. Are these ‘string attached puppets’ able to rise above the winds of technology?

For 10-year-old Alisha and 4-year-old Aryan, who have been to half a dozen puppet shows, watching puppets is always a pleasure. But ask them to choose between watching cartoons or puppets and pat comes the reply, ‘movies and cartoons.’ “When we were kids, we would always look forward to watch the shows. More such shows should be organised in the city else cable television and cartoons will never let the art flourish in modern times,” rues their mother, Monica.

Same goes for this sister duo, 6-year-old Riya and 4 year-old Sneha, given a choice, Cartoon network is what they would prefer to watch. ‘Where do the puppet shows happen in our city?’ asks their mother Gulshan. The only way they know about puppets is through a programme on POGO channel. “Children would come to know of such old forms, only if such events are organised at regular intervals here,” she continues.

Though, we constantly hear that puppetry in India is in its revival stage, yet in our city the picture is not so rosy. With only a handful of puppeteers left around we can only pin hopes. Nevertheless, with children programmes like Gali Gali Sim Sim who knows if television is still benefiting our ‘gizmo generation’ by creating awareness about the art if not more!

smritisharma@tribunemail.com

Treading off the beaten track, scores of teenyboppers are marching in the stuff not just for casual evening shopping to the quasi-malls across the city, but also to college grounds for flipping nonchalantly through the book of style.

If some of them look like youngsters out to rejoice the occasion of life straight after rolling out of bed, they are just not bothered about it. After all, the feeling of looking bindaas is more important than open opinions their clothes generate in the academic, and not-so-scholastic, circles.

Tracking them down is never difficult. All you have to do is to move out of your house and step on the fashion trail. All along the pathway of life, you will find younglings looking cool in the Summer of 2007 in cheerful track pants teamed with nice little tees.  

“Track pants are good if you are working out,” says city-based fashion designer Reshmi Bindra. “They look okay with shirts and fabulous with spaghetti tops. Otherwise also, the ensemble lends a I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude and a sporty air.”

This is not all. Track pants have also made it to the “accepted wear” category in classrooms, even in hot dance parties that continue till dawn, and delight. To top it all, the pants are inexpensive. A nice pair of trousers from a decent garment house costs upwards of Rs 450. On the other hand, track pants are available for even less than Rs 200!

If you still haven’t picked up a pair, just drive down to the nearest arcade. Or take your pick from rehri markets across the city. Go in for basic track pants that offer athletic style. The ones with an elastic drawstring waistband and contrast stripes on side seams are in. You can also opt for ones with clean lines lending a contemporary look. Also up for grabs are pants with elastic waist and button clasp.

Pants in red, pink and yellow are the hot favourites. “Just make sure the pants are made from soft cotton for that comfortable cool feeling so essential in summers,” suggests Raja of Lady Collection, a garment shop in Sector 17. Happy tracking!

saurabh@tribunemail.com 

Growing up – I was made to feel that solicitation was a rather nefarious activity. In fact, I remember the shape of grim wooden signboards saying – ‘No Solicitation’ in doctor’s offices and courthouse pillars. That was a stiff-lipped way to stop beggars from pestering you. Now, that we are a free society and everyone is making good use of a well-connected and consumerist world – solicitation has somehow burgeoned in many shades.

My home phone often rings in the evening. Upon rushing to it, leaving behind a smouldering frying pan or a chemistry lesson, I am greeted by an automated sales pitch accompanied by some infernal music. Sometimes, in the middle of a good movie, my cell phone starts beeping — a message has arrived. Upon spending a considerable time fishing it out of the handbag, I am greeted by a promotional message urging me to meet Abhishek Bacchhan, win some gold or donate blood!

At the traffic signals, a lot of soliciting goes on and I am not talking about good, old-fashioned begging and that too has seen a dramatic increase in the city! I am often accosted by youth who want me to buy boxes of facial tissue. The last time, I felt sorry and asked the boy the price of a box, he started beleaguering me for buying five boxes. At that, I gave up and drove away. Sometimes, they want you to buy things like car perfume, sun-blocking shades and plastic figurines. The last time, I even glanced at one of those perfume bottles, he started spraying inside my car. My car smelt of rotting Jasmine with a tinge of overripe pumpkins for a very long time.

Sometimes, you see these surreptitious characters roaming the neighbourhood. The minute you look at them – they mumble in an almost inaudible way – enquiring if you wanted to buy Kashmiri carpets, potted plants, dusting rags or fly swatters. Do we look like we are in need of any of that at ten o’ clock in the morning?

Competition has now driven high-tech companies to knock at your door and ask if you needed a new telephone connection? Gone are those days, when getting a telephone was as precious as winning the lottery! Even in the stores, there is extempore solicitation by young girls who approach you and urge you to buy – moldy looking face scrub, cream for cracked heels, instant hair colour kits and rock-solid anti-perspirants. And sometimes their persuasive prowess can be quite annoying.

Maybe, this is the price we have to pay for free market economy!

Hailing from the city of kebabs, it is the glamour of Mumbai that has lured this earnest young lad from Lucknow. Working as an actor, he says it is more than just a dream come true; it is his passion. Asheesh Kapur (26) is no stranger to performing arts. As a child, he was a keen participant at school’s dramatic competitions, later backed up by an acting course he grabbed several ad campaigns, like Cadbury Bytes, Coca Cola, Reliance, Hyundai Getz and the Haines Jockey innerwear ad which got him an award at Cannes. Also to his credit are two short films, The split second hand and Rice plate. On a visit to the city, Asheesh spoke about his future, dream role and yes his love - hold those horses—its films and more films!

How does the future look to you right now?

I have been very lucky and have got my first feature film titled Picnic. The film has a lot of new faces (17 at last count!) has been shot in Thailand and is targeted for a year-end release.

What is the most difficult part about being a struggling actor?

Everyone one wants to give you an advice on everything, but I really believe it is important to be a good and perceptive human if one wants to become a good actor.

If you had to choose anything outside films as a profession, what would it be?

Well, it would be only films. I would like to be a part of a good film that balances art with the commercial aspect.

Cool t-shirts with nice little quotations are making more than just fashion statements. They are spreading eco-friendly messages, effectively and stylishly. No wonder, so many young members of the green brigade are donning them not just to look stylish, but also eco-friendly.

And catering to their demands are fashion houses. In fact, Uni Style Image has come up with a complete range of eco-friendly casuals that are made with minimum chemicals and pure cotton.

In Chandigarh for finalising the company’s future plans for further expansion in this part of the country, Delhi-based top boss of the organisation Ashvinder Singh says every t-shirt in the eco-friendly class is designed to create awareness among the masses.

Taking you through the company’s Sector 17 showroom with aisles lined with t-shirts loaded with messages, Ashvinder Singh says he has special plans for Punjab. And some of them are just not business related. “To begin with, we are coming out with a complete range that promise creation of consciousness against the menace of female feticide,” he says.

This is not all. Ashvinder Singh believes Punjabis have the determination and will to succeed. They only need to be shown the right path. And books can do the job for them. “Through the ensembles, Uni Style wishes to tell people that there is just no substitute for education and books are a man’s best friend.” He says.

The organisation is already into modish social work. Every year in May, the company observes Anti-tobacco Day not just by encouraging the young crowd to wear their attitude against smoking, but also to participate in poetry and quotation writing competitions.

“We are also helping the slum dwellers by providing them with fabric waste so that they can design garments out of it with little training,” says Ashvinder Singh. “So far, we have managed to provide employment to quite a few slum dwellers. Anyways, unlike some of the garment manufacturers, we utilise local manpower as our motto is keep the jobs home. Keep it up guys! 

The Tatas, Birlas and Ambanis be warned. The young entrepreneur from the city has come of age. He may not descend from a family of business tycoons, may not have Godfather’s watching his back; but he possesses the skill and the intelligence that make him a winner. He is confident, but more importantly, he has a plan.

Manu Jindal, a fourth year metallurgy student from PEC, bagged the first prize in the Youth Business Development competition organised by SAID Business School, Oxford University. The international event with 48 teams from across the world was held to test the business acumen of the participants and to cultivate a sense of social responsibility. Manu, representing Team India emerged as a winner; for not only was his plan commercially viable, but socially relevant as well.

Talking about his proposal, Manu says, “I thought that Chandigarh as such has no centre for providing basic facilities to the house holds, even to fix a light point one has to look for skilled labour.” His project proposed to train people from the slums and make them proficient in these basic services. “Later, through marketing strategies they can be made available to different houses in the city.”

Two other budding entrepreneurs are Karan Sood and Abhishek Kumar from PEC who won the top prize in a business plan competition organized by IIT Roorkie. The duo was ahead of 84 entries, including those from IIM Ahemdabad, IIFT, Narsee Monjee and IIT’s. “The idea of the business plan came to us while doing research in NANO technology in the universities abroad,” say these fourth year students of engineering. Their project incorporates NANO technology into solar cells.

Well, this is not their only claim to fame, for they were also the winners at the PEC Fest this year. Karan, who sounded quite thrilled on their feat said, “We were competing with the best from all over India. And, to emerge as the winner is definitely a great feeling.” Abhishek is quick to add, “Yeah, winning two competitions in a row, both of the national level, feels really good.”

Well, it sure does! And, not only is this a proud moment for them and their families, but also for the city. And going by their achievements, one can definitely picture India Shining all the way!

The credit goes to ‘Lil Champs’, a musical talent show that took the kids and their folks across the country by storm. And for 11-year-old Mohak getting a chance to showcase his singing abilities on small screen, was the best thing that had happened to him.

This student of Class VII, after auditioning for ‘Lil Champs Antakshri’ in February went to Mumbai along with four others. He was the only one to have cleared the quarter-finals and now all set to participate in the semi- finals.

And what gives him the reason to grin from ear to ear is, Mohak has got a direct entry to ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs 2007’, an upcoming show on the same lines. Says an elated Mohak, “I was really lucky to have cleared the auditions and participate in the show but a direct entry to Sa Re…came to me as quite a surprise.”

A devoted dancer, Mohak has been shining all through since the age of three, performing at Rose Festivals and other local competitions, says Dr M. S. Meet, his father. However, his singing talent has been discovered quite recently when he sang at one of Meet’s official function. Now Mohak is taking music lessons and also learning to play the keyboard from a music teacher in Sector 22.

I am a 36-year-old still single but sharing a good friendship with a 35 year old guy working in the same firm as me. The last few years we have been good friends and enjoyed each other’s company. Now, that I am reaching an age where marriage would be a good idea, I feel may be he would make a good life partner. I do not want to scare him away being too forward and pushy. How do you think, I could ask him if he would be interested in a more permanent relationship. Do you think it will spoil my friendship?

Ruchi Mehta, Chandigarh

Any situation can be handled, if you know how to deal with it correctly. Definitely, you can propose to him since you have been colleagues for a long time and enjoyed each other’s company; it is a good start to a relationship. A healthy friendship is the prime condition required to make every relationship work, so just go ahead and try to create the magic. Do not be afraid of spoiling your friendship, if it is a true friendship and if he doesn’t want more to it, this will certainly remain.

I am in my late 30’s married man with two kids. A perfectly happy family on the surface, but guilt is getting me, as I feel constantly attracted to other women. I have noticed that even when I take my kids out for any sport in the evening, I make it a point to chat up the young mothers. I am not very happy with myself for being this way as I have a very attractive wife. Even at home I am not very interested in my family scene and prefer to either watch a movie or read a look. I feel my wife doesn't understand me and has very different views on life than I do. May be that is why I am constantly drawn to other woman.

Mohnish Pal, Karnal

Do not find excuses for your behaviour, but since you are feeling guilty about you behaviour there is definitely more to it than meets the eye. I think you need to connect more to yourself. Every relationship needs constant nurturing and no two people are the same. If your wife’s personality is different from yours it is to an advantage, you can sometimes view life from her perspective too. Please see it from a positive aspect and allow the difference to bring you closer rather than distance you.

I am a 24-year-old guy in love with a girl who is studying with me in my MBA Course. I have promised her that as soon as I get a job, I will marry her. But, even then she is living in a constant state of insecurity. Every time she sees me talking to any other classmate she starts sulking and making nasty comments. How can I convince her that she has nothing to worry about from my side. Although we come from different religious backgrounds I have still convinced my parents. She feels I am a rich guy and might just leave her. I feel love in more important than money.

Anuroop Sidana, Jalandhar

Hats off to you for being so sensitive and understanding towards your girlfriend .It is possible that due to differences of social status and culture she is insecure. Try and do small acts of consideration like including her in a conversation when you are chatting up your other classmates. Girls are generally insecure about men in our society because by and large they are insecure within themselves. Each one is carrying their own emotional baggage but with understanding partners this always sorts itself out. Also try and have a chat with her on her innermost feelings and extend a level of friendship in which she can feel a sense of confidence and comfort I’m sure with your mature attitude and generous nature you will be able to settle things well for yourself.

If you have been wondering about the fantastic combination of Upen Patel’s facial expressions with the dialogues in Shakalala Boom Boom; then the wait is over. The answer is Ankur Jhaveri, the voice behind Upen’s role and not just him but many other actors and animations films as well. He recently dubbed for Honeymoon Travels Ltd and not many people know that he is the voice behind majority of the Hindi versions of Hollywood flicks. From Leonardo Dicaprio in Titanic, Al Pacino in Godfather, Will Smith in Shark Tale, to the recent Provoked (Nandita Das’s lover); this artist has voiced for them all. He has also dubbed for over 1000 commercials with all leading production houses like Genesis, Mad Films, Black magic productions, Illusions, Apocalypso and Musica. Keeping him busy at present is a forthcoming film Friends Forever and a live action animation film with Ashmit Patel, wherein Ankur is the voice of Zampano, a toy protagonist. — Dharam Pal