Gulliver in Lilliput’ is the kind of feeling that sinks in as you step into Karishma Aggarwal’s little world. For, splashed all around this nine-year-old’s room are about 100 pairs of laced-up boots, slip-ons and wedges, chic little gowns and dresses (seemingly straight off the runaways in Paris), swimsuits sporting groovy graphics, prêt purses, hats, glittering little tiaras and necklaces, soft hairbrushes, combs, mirrors and frothy shampoos. And no, this is no Lilliput Island on which Swift’s Gulliver was washed after a shipwreck. Rather, it’s the fairy-tale world that young Karishma has created for herself with her 50 Barbie dolls.

Every little girl would love to place her dollies in the lap of luxury but Karishma has actually done it. These fifty Barbies, that form a part of Karishma’s collection, are indeed living life king size— getting pampered with indulgent baths, swinging to and fro on a tiny rocking chair, working on a writer’s desk and sipping coffee from a little cup kept on the coffee table. And yes, they have their personalised wardrobes, dressing tables, kitchen cabinets and beds too. Quite natural, when this child has been collecting Barbies since the age of six!

So when was the first time this little collector held a doll? “ Karishma’s always loved dolls. Even as a three- year-old thumb-sucking child, she used to snuggle with her cuddly dolls. But as she grew up, the Barbie-fixation took over her love for soft, frilly dolls and she began her collection,” smiles mommie Vaishali Aggarwal. Adds a chirpy Karishma, “My elder sister was reading aloud some article on a Barbie-collector in America who has 4000 Barbies and exhibits them every year. This inspired me to have my own Barbie collection. And now, the young girl stocks every interesting Barbie that’s available in town. Right from the long-haired Rapunzil, to a party hopper of the Victorian era, to an English bride and a fairy with glittering tiara, the Barbie-lover possesses it all.

Most moms may be enjoying those precise girlie moments, when they spot their little girls sitting in a corner—happy as a lark, beautiful to boot and yes, holding the doll on their little arms? But Karishma’s mom gets a greater visual treat every morning. “ My daughter is not content just laughing and giggling with her Barbies. For her, maintaining them is a greater pleasure,” beams Vaishali. And guess what, bathing and dressing up her dolls is not just a lazy-afternoon thing Karishma does. It’s rather a passion she translates into reality by putting her heart and soul into it. “I wash and iron all the Barbie dresses every evening and put on the new dresses, shoes, handbags and accessories every morning,” informs Karishma. And her mommie can’t resist laughing, “ No body in the house except Karishma herself is allowed to dust her room, lest we dust off any of her Barbie’s accessories.”

So what is it that lies in this doll-collector’s agenda next? “I want to collect as many as 5000 dolls,” explains Karishma, while tying her Victorian Barbie’s hair in a fancy bun. And this is not impossible, for Karishma’s relatives and friends have already been religiously instructed to gift her just Barbies, be it her birthday or winning some competition. Well, seems like Karishma’s passion will bring some good news for the Mattel toy company.

anandita@tribunemail.com

Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Geeta Basra, Sayali Bhagat

This is the second venture of the director duo Hasnain Hyderabadwala and Raksha Mistry who earlier directed, The Killer that didn’t fare well at Box-office. The plot of the film zooms in on the extra marital twists. The story revolves around a common middle-class man drawn by the temptations of a beautiful woman. The film’s plot, story and music are claimed to be its USP. Also, it is the first hindi film to be shot at Bangkok’s sky rail. It launches former Miss India Sayali Bhagat’s opposite smooch king Emraan Hashmi.

Showing at: Nirman, Fun Republic

MP3 - Mera Pehla Pehla Pyar
Director: Robby Grewal

Cast: Ruslaan Mumtaz, Hazel, Kanwaljit Singh, Mandira Singh, Manoj Pahwa

Robby Grewal, of Red Ice Films is all set to woo audience with this vivacious teenage love story. Produced by Percept Pictures Company, the film’s music has been composed by Ashutosh Pathak and Dhruv Ganekar. Ruslaan Mumtaz, son of actress Anjana Mumtaz makes his debut in this romantic film. It also introduces Hazel in the lead. Kiran Kotrial, dialogue writer-turned-lyricist along with Aslam Noor, has penned down the lyrics for this flick.

Showing at: Fun Republic

— Dharam Pal

Chunky purses may be the in-thing today but ‘sleek and sparkling’ clutches are a rage among party-hoppers. Anandita Gupta does a style check around town

Think sparkle and what flashes across the mind is the simmering sun showering sizzling sparks left and right. For, could anything be flashier than the glistening sunrays that leave us all snorting and puffing nowadays? But wait a minute before deciding on that, as the city’s fashion hubs have a different story to tell.

Party-purses, or clutches, to be more trend-specific are dazzling the city denizens with their glamour-studded glitter. Available in feisty hues like fuchsias, lavenders, electric blues, khaki greens, copper and bronze, besides the ever-so-sizzling silvers and golds, flashy party clutches are a rage today. What’s more, clutches today refuse to restrict themselves to the usual shapes and detailing. Right from potli-shaped and sequin-studded totes to little oval-and square shaped clutches, it’s all there in town. What further notch up their glamour quotient are the regal fabrics like tissues and brocades that are being used in crafting these party purses. And guess what, even cottons today are making rounds of the party circuit. Beams Sanjeev Giri of Sparkles, Sector 9, “ We’ve got party purses in cotton with interesting detailing like pom-poms, stones, beads and sequins planted in animal and other fascinating shapes (Rs 300-400).” But in case these embellishments don’t interest you enough to carry a cotton purse to a party, you can even pick from their silk and satin clutches collection. (Rs 700-1400)

And for all those of you, who’ve taken out those chunky handbags out of their closets, stash them back. For, large-sized handbags may be the rage today, but not for parties. Basically what the stylo-meter dictates for party-hoppers today is a sleek and sparkling accompaniment along with their outfit. And, while picking up a party clutch, colour coordination of one’s outfits and clutches ought to be the primary concern. No wonder, though most stores in town are stocking party clutches with all kind of interesting shapes and embellishments, the emphasis remains more on the availability of different shades of metallic colours. Chips in Karan Sharma of Sins, Sector 10. “We’re stocking interesting shapes in colours like whites, silvers, coppers, bronze tints and goldens ( Rs 150-650). Leather with metallic finish is really in vogue but even brocade and tissue bags are doing well.”

Besides, the city’s fashion and accessory stores are also witnessing a lot of playing around with patterns, when it comes to party purses. Right from geometrical and animal prints to floral motifs and funny photographs, graffiti and cartoons, these purses are carrying them all off with élan. “Shades like whites, mustards, copper, dull greens and goldens are coming in sporting funky prints and patterns (Rs 1000-2500). Glamour, indeed, seems to have wedded funk when it comes to these cute clutches,” says Raman Arora of Waga, Sector 10.

“Faux leather purses with women-silhouettes as cut-work, hanging metal trimmings and silver chains as straps are the highlights of our collection (Rs 495-1500),” beams Atul Mahajan of Whistles, Sector 17. However, while stores like Ten West, Sins and Waga are emphasising on bringing varied hues and shapes of party-purses to town, other outlets in town are cashing in on the theme-display. Shimming up Meena Bazaar’s ground floor, for example, is a massive antique-bookshelf, studded with ‘Bridal totes and party-clutches.’ “Flash goes well with weddings and parties and we’ve tried to bring it to town with these clutches (Rs 400-3000). Most of these are adorned with sequins, metal trimmings, sparkling studs and loads of swarovski and broach pieces. And to make these look even flashier, we’ve displayed them on two of these shelves that are centuries-old,” smiles Manish Jain of Meena Bazaar, Manimajra. Little wonder, these antique bookshelves look like some designer rack holding a kingdom of sparkling nymphets no less!

The dazzle of these flashy clutches is slightly maddening, in fact, blinding no less! No wonder, these gleaming delights are already heating up the city’s fashion scene.

Our lives have many blessings — if only we could enumerate and pinpoint them. They may be large or small, hidden or obvious. That they are always there is an accepted fact. They are waiting for us to find them. Deepak Chopra says that coming across these is no coincidence. They were meant to be.

Buying monthly rations is a bore and chore, especially as they finish so fast. There are six mouths to feed — Mother, Oz and I, plus the two helpers and their little daughter. Add the dog to this sextet and we have a hungry flock with gargantuan appetites. So rations are over on the dot, every month and need to be replenished hail or sunshine.

A wasp-waisted young man, with heavy bags slung on his shoulders, rang the bell last October. He smiled broadly, as he let off a few crackers, spoke glibly and offered me free samples of detergent, shampoo, incense and noodles. Intrigued, I filled a form and went to Ambitions, a shop in Sector 47. Everything was cheaper as long as I bought in bulk. This suited me due to the aforementioned appetites. And then who is averse to saving a few paisas? Besides, Vicky, Ricky and Dad offer freebies of glass bowls, biscuits, steel katoris and pasta. Personally, not much is gained or lost but the whole trip is fun and reminiscent of the melas of yore.

I belong to the XXL group. Having spent the past eight years in Goa, I have got used to skirts and trousers. They expand and shrink with ones diet. Unfortunately, such garments, worn in North India by sixty-year-old women, evoke strange responses. As I paid the ration bill an ancient, air-force retiree started singing the theme song from Dhoom in my ear. I almost socked him on the hooter but then realized it was a left-handed, if somewhat crude compliment and tackling him in my theth Punjabi would break the myth of my being “half and half,” as most people think me to be.

Irritated and hot under the collar, I flounced out of the shop and started looking for a quiet corner and a cup of coffee. In line with the post office, nestled behind an all covering, cheerful, fruity green, plastic screen is a place called South Ratnam. I could look out but no one could look in. The black metal chairs are comfortable, the tables clean. Oz glanced into the kitchen and found it spotless. The simple food transported us back to the Udippi eateries of the South. It is authentic, cheap, wholesome and generous in quantity. Wash it all down with genuine filter coffee. Chandrashekhar and Venkatesh Rao serve you silently, without fuss, which is a relief. Their father turns out fluffy idlis and crisp paper dosas, or anything else on the varied menu. Their mother keeps things ticking at home. Seven years ago a family left their home in Mangalore to make new and modest beginnings. Each one sacrificed their dreams and ambitions to contribute to the family venture. With a smattering of English and Hindi, I can see them progressing into a brighter future. The Musketeers motto of “One for all and all for one!” holds true for families, too.

Fashion is changing on monthly basis. You may find it incredibly chic, but May’s voguish stuff has already been relegated to closets, and the trashcan of memories, with fashion houses launching exclusive collection of cool summery wear for June’s white heat.

Right guys, if slender tops with long flowing skirts and wide trousers were in vogue in the dull heat of May, cool and airy cuts in long impressive tops and slim jeans is in this month. And the lively apparels are there to stay till sultry July rises from the ashes of deadly June.

“Looking up-to-the-minute is imperative for the youngsters living life on the glamour lane,” says Shveta Shourie, a US-based fashion designer with roots in Chandigarh. “No matter what, they hate to be seen in parties twice with the same dress. For this very reason, they shop till delight from fashion houses displaying monthly collections. If in the process of buying cool stuff, they burn holes in their pockets, they are just not bothered about it.”

She adds: “With both parents working, and swirling incomes due to timely change in jobs, pocket money is not an issue. Otherwise also, saying no to them becomes exceedingly difficult for parents with little time to spare for their children”. Just in case you haven’t seen style changing with the calendar pages, drive down to some of the fashion houses across the city — Esprit for one. The international lifestyle brand does not believe in fall, summer or winter collection. In fact, it has launched the concept of “diverse-clothes-for-different-months” concept.

“We have fresh new collection for each month of the year,” says Esprit’s country head Manjula Tewari. “So what you get in April is so very different from the stuff you see on the shelves in May. Globally also, we work on a 12-season concept with every store launching a fresh look and new styles to it existing variety every month”.

Good, but what about this month’s collection? “Well, the look of the month is decidedly soft with an attention to authenticity. Gals can walk out with slim-leg pants and jeans teaming them up with long over-size tops. In tees, they can pick up stuff in metallic colours . The prints are essentially floral, and feminine,” she says. For guys, there are printed shirts, or the ones with detailed back embroidery. Green and pinks are in. Again for them, you have slim-leg jeans in raw and washed out denims.

Keeping in mind the weather, the fabric used is essentially light, soft and comfortable, in consonance with international trends. The stuff is summery and provides a cool feeling when close to the skin. Sounds chic! 

“I feel dutifully obliged to carry forward the family legacy of saaf suthri Punjabi gayaki propounded by my elders,” she says. At the same time she says, she has no regrets of not going to USA where her husband has been settled for the last four years. “I am glad I ventured to emulate my mom and nani as a singer,” Sunaini avers with a sense of pride and promise.

In fact, young Sunaini had cast a glimpse of her versatility and inherent music potential way back in 1993 while pairing with Surinder and Dolly for a series of performances in UK. The trio was at their zenith as they brought alive the grace and melody of Punjabi folk and ceremonial songs like Maavan te dheeyan or Madhaniyan. Such was the response that an album titled ‘Surinder Kaur- 3

Generations’ was produced and released in London thereafter.

At the age of eight, Sunaini was lucky to be under the tutelage of renowned classical vocalist, Ustad Abdul Rehman Khan Saheb of Patiala gharana. Masters in English, PGDTM diploma from IFTF and diploma in designing, Sunaini has even studied International Marketing and Trade from MIT, Melbourne. But, music has always remained her first love and she has anchored and sung at many shows in Melbourne and USA. Back here, she has recorded two songs along with her mom for their forthcoming album.

Recalling some of her most memorable moments, she says, “It was my performance before the Bollywood fraternity at Mountview in 1993. Dharmendra not only admired my work but also blessed me.” Four years later, she shared the stage with music director Kanwar Iqbal, Hans Raj Hans and Arif Lohar at Lahore’s Gaddafi stadium. “ The huge crowd of Punjabi enthusiast cheered us asking for more,” she reminisces.

Next, on her wish list is to carry forward the rich cultural heritage of Punjab through the Nightingale academy. “It will be the real tribute to my mentor and inspiration, Surinder Kaur,” she signs off.

Thespian V.K. Sharma, a pioneer in the promotion and propagation of children’s theatre in India and aboard, believes that the theatre of our dreams should be capable of offering engrossing entertainment. What it presents should have meaning for the society we live in. Rightfully decorated with the National Sangeet Natak Award, Sharma is a pass out from the National School of Drama with specialization in acting (1979). He remained a member of the NSD repertory company as an actor for three years.  However, unlike many of his batch mates, he had no temptation for the Bollywood glamour and instead opted for an altogether noble cause to popularize theatre among children.