REMEMBER the days when one would pick up a copy of Competition Success Review and religiously devour every bit of information about the IAS topper, right from how to prepare for the mains to what to wear for the interview?

Inevitably, the dress the candidate would wear turn out to be a light blue shirt with a dark pair of trousers if the topper was a man or a pastel shaded cotton sari in the case of a woman.

Well, since we stopped subscribing to the CSR after a few futile attempts to get into the coveted service, we have no idea about what the aspiring IAS officers are wearing these days, but we can positively say that the dress code for the working class has been evolved and re-evolved over the years.

The first thought with any Sikh, be it from here or an NRI visiting the country, is to seek the blessings of the Gurus. Amrit Pal Singh, a Singapore-based entrepreneur too felt the same. “Whenever, I come here, I would rush to the Gurdwara,” he says.

However, while Singh wished to spent a day or two in the holy premises; he found himself and many others waiting in the queue to find a place to stay in the sarai (a place to stay). “I found people arguing and running around fruitlessly. It felt terrible to see people with their elderly parents and children, getting harrased,” he says. And, that’s when Singh got working on this venture — www. saraibooking.com.

“I asked myself, wouldn’t it be nice if people can get all the information sitting at home,” he says. To begin with, he listed down all the queries that a visitor would have, like whether a Gurdwara has a sarai or not, the person to be contacted, to check on the availability of a room and how much would be the rent per day.

Book a sarai After logging in, you can search the information in two ways: Select the country, and then the city. You will get to see all the cities in the dropdown list where sarais are available. Or simply type in the keyword search, like Pokhran, Khadoor, Taran Taran or New Delhi, and you can simply click on the gurdwara you are looking for.

An MBA by qualification, he first made a team with a designer from Kenya, a programmer from USA and a SEO (search optimisation engine) professional from Canada. Once the team was ready, he made a plan to gather the information. “I had my numbers right. There are 24 million Sikhs in the world, out of which 19 million are in India; and further 14.5 million in Chandigarh and Punjab,” he says. So, his prime focus became the Gurdwaras in this region.

Next, he began to undertake trips to the Gurdwaras to collect more data. And, after five years of endless travelling and taking notes, the site was ready in January this year.

It allows you to find a sarai sitting at home, free of cost, and then make a phone call directly to the sarai in-charge. It gives you the name, address, contact number, facilities and room count. The site boasts of listing of over hundreds of saraiss in India; and can be seen from 50 countries.

And, what’s more, you get to access the site absolutely free of cost. Ask him the cost behind the venture, and he says, “Can the work for one’s community be measured in monetary terms?” He adds, “I want to request the Sikh sangat to e-mail me the details of the sarais in their city, so that the Sikhs worldwide can take benefit of this.”

purva@tribunemail.com 

Journeys knit many strands and threads of being on the road, together. However, this journey, On the Grand Trunk Road is different. For, it brings three stalwart litterateurs like Lal Singh Dil, Mahasweta Devi and Joy Goswami together. Sounds interesting? But this is not all.

On the Grand Trunk Road is a journey curated by writers and eminent theatre aficionados—Nirupama Dutt, Shumita Didi and Parnab Mukherjee. It traverses a path through installations, objects d’art and performances weaving a narrative that looks at conflict resolution through the writings of Dil, Mahasweta Devi and Goswami.

“This is a response to two recent events. The killings at Nandigram where protestors were shot dead by the West Bengal police for agitating on the proposed SEZ land. The other is the recent attack on Chandramohan, a student of MS University, Baroda, whose artwork during an internal assessment was considered to be obscene by the ‘saffron brigade’ and he was jailed,” explains Parnab.

The idea came about when the three of them were discussing the National Resistance Week on Nandigram in Kolkata scheduled in the last week of May. “Since we were going to be in Chandigarh at the time, we decided we would create something to celebrate the spirit of resistance,” says Parnab.

And it is this spirit that is best epitomised by one of Punjab’s finest Dalit poets, Lal Singh Dil whose works constitute the central metaphor for this show, “dedicated to struggle,” says Nirupama.

“The idea is not only integrate Nandigram and Baroda but to also shake ourselves out of our smug security for it happening around us even in Punjab today,” says Parnab. It is to highlight, what he refers to as, “the nature of fascism and not just freedom of speech.”

Lal Singh Dil was born into a low-caste community in Samrala. The first of his clan to finish school and go to college and he could have been a teacher but he turned activist and joined the Naxalite movement. Police torture, imprisonment and rejection forced him to leave his home. He moved to Uttar Pradesh and converted to Islam. Dil returned to Samrala much after the spectre of terrorism had ceased in the state. He now runs a highway tea-stall and writes one-line poems to be painted on the back of long-haul trucks.

“While other poets wrote in empathy of struggle and conflict, Dil’s poetry was ‘lived’. It came from his experiences and heart and his story is one of amazing courage and resilience,” says Nirupama, who was incidentally the first person to translate his poems from Punjabi for an anthology on Naxalite poetry in the 1970s.

However, what is interesting is that this show hopes to breach many clichéd notions of performance.

For one, the exhibition is an effort to break the context of seeing visual objects hanging on a wall and the Museum’s exhibition space (Sector 10) where it is being held, lends itself to so much experimentation, explains Nirupama

This is also a journey across micro-histories and struggle through the installations, which is being put together by Shumita. “It is a journey of three trunks that belong to each of us. Each trunk is full of memories and objects that we want to project—art, writings—whatever we want,” she avers.

On one wall will be a video-loop on Banta Singh (the Dalit whose arms and legs were chopped off) playing through the showing.

And for Parnab, who works primarily in the context of conflict-resolution and third theatre, a movement pioneered by his mentor and guru Badal Sirkar which works with sound and space where the history of the space is also built into the performance, it is an idea born out of ‘politics’ but one that concentrates on the ‘politics of art’.

On the grand trunk road opens on May 22 at 6:00 pm at the Government Museum and Art Gallery with short-story readings by Poonam Singh, editor of Preetlarhi and Shumita Didi who will read from two short stories of noted Hindi writer Asghar Wajahat, Shah Alam Camp Ki Rooh written as a response to the sectarian violence in Gujarat in 2002 and Drain Mein Rehti Ladki on the unwanted girl-child.

While the exhibition can be viewed from 11 am onwards on May 23, the evening will comprise of a theatrical exploration of Lal Singh Dil, Mahasweta Devi and Joy Goswami.

Finally why is it On the grand trunk road?

“It connects Peshawar and Sonargaon in Bangladesh. This ‘protest activism’ is from Kolkata to Samrala (Dil’s home),” smiles Nirupama.

She recites from Dil’s verse Words to make her point.

Words have been uttered

long before us

and

for long after us

chop off every tongue

If you can

But the words have

still been uttered

gayatrir@tribunemail.com 

Music heals, so does medicine. When they both combine, it gets a form —Sukhdip Singh Boparai. Endowed with the perfect swar gyan and melody, this renowned microscopic eye surgeon of Patiala is the man of many talents.

Music was a God send, which he religiously groomed since his childhood, but without any tutelage. For Sukhdip, music helped him to accomplish the excellence in his medical profession. During his school days at Yavadinra Public School and later the medical college at Patiala, his achievements in music gave him recognisition and honour. But today, the soulful strains of music that comes out of his guitar strings, recorded in his album Emotions II, kept him rejuvenated while he was engaged in critical eye operations for eight hours at a stretch.

Sans any classical music background, Sukhdip plays the keyboard, harmonica and Spanish guitar with ease and perfection. His second instrumental music album Emotions II which was released today is a testimony to his adroit mastery over the instrument and grasp of the intricate music and tal patterns. He owes this perfection to his mentor and maestro Sukhwinder Singh Sukhi who had honed his talent. Two years back, Boparai had released his first album Emotions I comprising of hit film songs on the keyboard. He endeavours to make another musical offering of film songs including Punjabi folk numbers.

The release ceremony of his album at Hotel Maya Palace turned out to be intimate affair as the legendry Punjabi actor, singer Harbhajan Mann, the chief guest and the guest of honours T. C .Gupta, IAS Home Secretary Punjab, as well as Sudhir Mittal, IAS, joined Harbhajan Mann to sing Gallan Goriya Te Wich Toye. After all music moves all.

Punjabi singer Bhupinder Singh Chawla ‘Bhuppi’ has come a long way from Khalli Balli. He represents that new brand of young Indian musicians who combine both the western and the eastern in their songs, who can regale audiences with the raunchiest but are not rootless.

Definitely, the key to this talented crooners versatility is his golden voice. Bhuppi was awarded with Rajiv Gandhi Award, the CSR Gold Award and Adhaarsheela Award from the then vice-president Shanker Dyal Sharma. Life Style chats him up.

You almost disappeared after Jogiya Khalli Balli?

I believe in quality. I work on only one album every two years and do stage shows across the globe in between.

What’s the next thing you are doing?

My new album would release in September. Though I haven’t decided the name, its title song Paisa has all the ingredients to get popular.

Do you think remixing is healthy?

In a sense it is. That way we can make the new generation listen to old songs, but the kind of videos is not nice.

You played hockey before singing. How come this change?

Yes, I was the vice-captain of the Delhi state hockey team. But I met with an accident while playing and had to leave the sport. The status of the game in our country is sad.

Scores of Punjabi singers are cutting albums every month. How do you see their future?

Punjab has an old history of music and music runs in our blood. But, training is important.

Can we hope to see more of you?

Yes, certainly. Besides the album, talks are on with a TV and radio channel to host a special show. Let’s see.

A wah-wah for the Wallah-Wallah man. — TNS

There is a proverb in Bengali which, loosely translated in Hindi would mean – “ Sher chhu jaye to bara zakhm, police chhu jaye to atthara zakhm.” I was brought up to think that it is always a good idea to steer clear of the police, till I went to the US. On my way to a remote valley in California, when I was desperately trying to make sense of a map, a tall and fair police officer, stopped his bike behind the grassy patch where I had pulled over. I looked at my rear-view mirror and gulped. He walked over to my car, poked his head in, removed his aviator-styled sunglasses, revealing striking blue eyes and said in a deep and calm voice –“Mam, can I help you?”

Since, then I have gathered courage about the police. I have actually walked up to them and sought help and have never been refused. Now, I was not so sure about Chandigarh when I arrived here. I had already seen too many Hindi movies about India’s ills, and a lone and honest officer fighting the entire system. But, you really don’t always need them when the foreign agents are planting bombs in pipelines! You need them, when you are stranded on the road, or when your purse gets snatched and on an occasion, when the teenagers next door are having a party that is getting out of control!

My experience about the police in Chandigarh has been highly positive. I have met some sweet and well-mannered officers who have braved through my poor Hindi. I was almost run over by a cyclist in a parking area. A policeman who was observing, came running over, helped me up and gave an earful to the cyclist. When the cyclist finally receded, he smiled broadly and said – “aap phikar mat karo mamji, uske hath pair tor denge.” When I visibly paled, he hurried to explain that it was only a joke. I felt uneasy about that joke for many days afterwards.

I approached a constable at the Sukhna Lake the other day and complained about the increasing number of dogs that are roaming the walking trails these days. He smiled philosophically and said – “Kya kare, Mam, ek tha abhi anek ho gaya. Lekin, kuch nahi karega. Aap unko mat satao – who bhi aapko nahi katega.” At that, I felt too ashamed to complain any more. Who says the police do not care?

Once a traffic policeman stopped me for jumping a yellow light. When I remonstrated, he said – “galtiayn karte ho, phir uparse policeko badnam bhi karte ho?” Who says we have nothing to learn from them?

A remake of the fable The Beauty and the Beast is slated for release this summer. A departure from the original, the script for the new-age version- The Booty and the Beast, is being written by none other than our men in khaki. To give their people-friendly image a facelift, they’ve penned an ambitious plan to thwart household lifting. By who else, but that beast of a summer thief who makes a go for the booty of those headed out on a holiday.

Thanks to theft proofing, residents may now be able to take a break without fear of a break-in. That is, if the youngsters slated to be cast in the part of action heroes deliver. For, the villains—be the small-time lifters or the badshahs of burglary—will now have to outperform youths from the Morni hills in the role of house guards.

This summer job will fetch these unemployed youngsters Rs 300 a day, a small price for an anxiety-free vacation. Just as well for these lads, for this summer placement may keep them from stealing themselves, like Ricci of Bicycle Thief who lifted a bike to get a job.

But, this measure is for the threat from without. There is also a challenge from the enemies within. The terror that resides in the household in the form of a servant.

Given the spate of murders by house helps recently, the cops may need to display ingenuity to crack down on these criminals lurking inside.

For, the profile of the mundu has changed as fast as the times. In what could be a case of real roles evolving with the reel ones, the faithful retainer has graduated from being a Ghulam to Namak Haram to Khalnayak.

This requires servant screening to go futuristic too. That’s where buttons can take over from the batons. Call in the digital detectives. Let gizmos grapple with the gangsters masquerading as naukars. Not just public offices, even the private domain may need to get totally wired. The existing anti-burglar gadgetry needs to be augmented with anti-naukar paraphernalia.

In the spirit of smoke or burglar alarms, we require contraptions that could go beep-beep every time criminal intentions cross a servant’s mind.

Extra sensory perception needn’t belong to just a gifted few. If gizmo makers get creative, it could be plucked off the shelf. And, for a price, households could get completely sensor-enabled. The role of CCTVs could be taken a step further. To detect not just pilfering but even any plotting going on in a servant’s mind.

There could be sensors under the sink. Sensors over the kitchen top. And, certainly sensors on the dining table. Blinking menacingly if a naukar is preparing or serving a spiked parantha or a laced lassi.

Life Un-sensored. That could become a thing of the past. Especially, for all elderly people who are at home alone. May be then, we could have another remake. Ali Baba Aur 40 Sensor.

chetnabanerjee@tribunemail.com 

Their eyes are full of dreams and heads buzzing with ideas and their focus is the stage. For these amateur theatre activists, it’s the passion for acting, writing scripts, and directing that keeps them going.

With theatre institutes serving as training grounds, theatre lovers are expecting a whiff of fresh air in Punjabi theatre. “Punjabi theatre needs to be revamped. The plays staged here have the same old plot,” dots Hardeep Singh Sethi, vice-president of Manchtantra theatre group.

Though Hardeep has joined UBS, he will continue with theatre, he says, “After doing my course I will try my luck in theater .”

Professional training is a must for theater, feels Vikram Thakur, he’s doing Ph. D in English literature from Panjab University, “Instead of talking of theater’s falling standards, we should get together to do something about it. For instance, there was this famous German dramatist, Bertolt Brecht, known for his creativity techniques, which are not tried out here,” he says.

Theater is picking up, says Neelam Man Singh, renowned theater personality. “It is one platform that connects people to large audience,” she articulates.

On the move to bring a change is Ashu Sharma, who is busy grooming youngsters in the field. To start with he is conducting workshops in schools.

Involved in theater for four years, Gautam Sharma, says passionately, “When I do theater I feel as if am living life my way and feel satisfied,” after a thought, “In fact it’s the thrill of playing your role successfully that matters. Theatre has become a big part of me now,” he adds.

We wish them all the best!

It seems that the ever-expanding family of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt is now falling short of space. The couple recently revealed that they are hunting for a bigger bed to accommodate their Sunday afternoon routine.

The Brangelina clan, which includes three adopted children and one biological baby girl, need a larger bed to enjoy their special bonding occasion when they all cuddle into bed to watch films together. “We’re talking about having a bigger bed built. We love the kids and are having a great time,” says Angelina. Meanwhile, despite having a kid with Pitt, the Tomb Raider actress is not warming up to the idea of tying the knot with the actor.

Sitting in their luxurious car, they wait for their turn to lay their hands on their favourite chat pappri. Despite numerous chic sweet shops in the city, most of the foodies head to the popular rehriwalas for a quick evening delight.

Popular among them is Garg Chat in Sector 23. Lalit Garg, the owner has been into this business since the past 50 years. Garg says, “My grand-parents started this rehri in 1950’s and we are still among the most popular ones here.”

Talking of the popularity Garg grins, “We used to work on a rehri earlier and it has been a long journey. It is good to see people lined up at the booth even after so many years.”

Though some of these rehriwalas also own cars and other luxurious items, ask about their possessions, they say: “We don’t want to come into the limelight and are not keen to talk about what we have and what we don’t have.”

Ram Singh, who came from Agra, has been putting up his rehri in Sector 19 for the past 38 years. His son Ravi Singh is now looking after the business. Ravi is a college drop out. Ask him about his trade secrets, he smiles, “It is the way we prepare the pappris and chutneys that lures crowds to us. But sorry, I cannot disclose the recipe,” he adds.

Running a chat stall is no cakewalk, points out Ravi, “My morning and afternoons are occupied preparing the mixtures. We have our regular quota of clients.”

In the peak hours, these rehris have to cater more than 1000 persons on an average. “It is flattering to see people coming from Panchkula and Mohali,” smiles Ravi.

Among the famous ones is the chana-kulcha wala, Ram Prasad. He can be usually spotted outside the Government College of Girls, Sector 11 with his spicy chanas.He is quite a hit among the girls. “I have been putting up my rehri for the past 25 years,” he smiles, “I make it a little spicy as the girls like it that way.”

swati@tribunemail.com 

at lifestyle@tribunemail.com or care of Lifestyle, The Tribune, Sector 29-C, Chandigarh

I am 50 years old and have been in an on-and-off relationship for about 20 years. He is a married man but he makes me really happy. We have considered marriage many times as he thinks he should get a divorce but somehow it has never happened. Each time after a short holiday he goes back to his wife and family. Now it is beginning to get me. Is there a solution?

Vineeta Malhotra, Rudrapur

Is it real love? Love should be bringing you joy and happiness, not a melancholic and empty feeling. Just stop kidding yourself. There is really no love in here, it is just a comfort zone. A man is definitely not going to change into a different guy now. Clearly be wants to have his cake and eat it too. You are just playing into his hands. Face up to the situation and go and create a life for yourself. Since you have a career you definitely have a strong personality in one way. Just get your emotions in order. Nothing comes easy in life, not even emotional fulfillment. You have to develop a level of clarity. Once you know you have to move on with your life the Gods will definitely support you and show you the way.

We are a working couple, both working in different firms and transferable jobs. I earn more money than my husband, but this has never really come between us. Now suddenly he has been transferred to a different city and we are both wondering if one of us should change the job and move with the other. I would prefer to keep my job as it is better paying and more prestigious, but I also do not went to hurt my husband by asking him to change his job. I feel his ego might be hurt. What is the right thing to do in this situation?

Ruhi Mehta, Ambala

It is rather nice of you to consider your husbands feelings and care for his emotional interests. Well, the sensible thing is to keep your job at the moment and allow him to start looking for jobs around where you are, so that you guys can have it easy. Suggest to him gently what you feel is the best solution, if he seems happy with it, fair enough. In case he has hassles or misgivings always think of an alternative way. Remember money is important but not at the cost of your relationship.

I am a 21-year-old guy interested in the arts. My parents want me to go for an MBA from the US and work for an MNC. My father looks up to all the boys who have really made it big in the corporate world and wants me to do the same. As much as I would like to please my parents, this does not interest me at all. I am looking for a career in the art world and fulfillment in life, rather than just turning into one of the run of the mill guys. I feel different and want to he different. Can you help me?

Parmeet Ahluwalia, Patiala

Young man, you sure sound like an interesting person, with a head on this shoulders. Making your father proud is very important but your own happiness is also the key to life. In your case it should be easy to put both together. These days media studies is a subject that has a wide scope. You just have to qualify through your favourite course and get into the corporate world as a media advisor. This way your father’s dream of seeing you in the corporate world is fulfilled and so your creativity finding its own level of fulfillment. And as far as money is concerned, it is always a case of ‘do what you love and the money will follow’. I’m sure your parents will find happiness in seeing you successful and happy.

Scarlett Johansson is all set to play the title role in the new movie Mary Queen Of Scots. Producer and financier Ryan Kavanaugh of Relativity Media announced the news at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival. The Mary Queen of Scots project will be produced by Kavanaugh as well as New Regency’s Alexandra Milchan and Scarlett’s mother Melanie Johanasson.

The movie will be penned by Jimmy McGovern and directed by John Curran. The film will centre around Mary, who became a queen at two years of age, a wife at 15, a widow at 17, and then used up the rest of her life in an awful family and political commotion, which led her to spend her last years in a prison, before a horrible beheading at the age of 44. —ANI

Raqueeb ...
Watchable
Sophie (Tanushree Dutta) is a theatre actor. Remo ( Rahul Khanna) is a computer whiz. She is a seductress. He is an introvert. She is determined to ensnare him into marrying her. Though enamoured of her beauty, he is reluctant to do so. What happens when Remo ultimately gives in to the persuasive skills of friend Siddharth ( Sharman Joshi) and marries Sophie ?

Their love story takes an unexpected turn. Sophie’s past catches up with her in the form of ex-boy friend Sunny (Jummy Shergill). Old love is re-ignited and the two make a devilish plan to get rid of Remo so that they can have his millions and live together again. Just then, things go wrong and Sunny realises that he has been taken for a sucker by his old flame who has another ace up her sleeve.

The wanderings of director Anuraag Singh of Raqueeb and his lead actors in the world of mystery cinema are, to say the least, desultory. In a bid to weave a suspense story, the filmmaker gets tied up in knots with the result that the narrative proves to be no more than a knotty affair. A liberal sprinkling of indifferent music and ample doses of skin show fail to lift the proceedings to a level where it can be described as a fast-paced drama.

The problem with directors like these is that though starting on a promising note, they lose their moorings somewhere in the middle and their works end up as cheap imitations of Hollywood blockbusters. The sooner they shed their obsession for the American dream factory, the better it would be for them and actors like Rahul Khanna and Sharman Joshi who are hugely wasted in a theme which had the potential of being turned into a taut thriller.

Showing at Kiran