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Tagore Theatre’s renovation plan of a larger seating capacity & a seemingly triangular stage has triggered off a controversy
The Tagore Theatre controversy just refuses to die down. Aditya Prakash, who created it along with P. Jeanneret, way back in 1958, may have given up his fight as a lost cause, but not others. So our arty folks, simmering with resentment at the drastic change of the heritage auditorium, got leverage when filmmaker M.S. Sathyu took an interest in the matter, calling the new-look auditorium a ‘monster’. And thus was born a group of likeminded people, whose mission now is ‘Save Tagore’.
And leading the group is Sathyu himself. In a recent communication to one of the group members Rani Balbir Kaur, this Dada Saheb Phalke award winner (filmmaker of Garam Hawa fame) has a few suggestions to give, which he has sent in the form of a few alternative plans. And if you are wondering why a Bangalore-based filmmaker would be interested in our good ol’ Tagore, then the answer lies in the ‘good ol’ bit. Sathyu’s association with Tagore goes back to three decades, when he came along with Zul Vellani to do the stage designing and lighting for Vellani’s play Dak Ghar. His last visit was in 2007, to be a part of Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi starrer Kaifi Aur Main. And coming back to his comment, make a visit to the construction site and you’ll understand what evoked the ‘monster’ word. The stage looks disproportionate if compared to the huge stadium-like seating area. For a regular visitor of Tagore, it will need a fair number of visits to get adjusted to the 180-degree shift of the stage. The stage is now nestled between two walls in a triangular position, once again, a variation from its earlier rectangular shape. The blue print of the new plan shows the stage occupying about 2,000 sq feet and the backstage area is about 4,000 sq feet. As for the seating arrangements, it will now have 820 seats in place of 585 as earlier. “The architect is concentrating in all things which are paraphernalia but for the stage,” says Rani Balbir Kaur, who has already forwarded Sathyu’s plans to Namita Singh, the architect, for saving it from a total disaster. She now wants to take it further by submitting the letter and the plans to the Chandigarh Administration. “A stage should be a neutral, fluid place where the audience becomes an integral part of the production. As an American theatre person had rightfully said that one goes to watch a theatre because it opens your skull and lets oxygen in and the audience gets that by participating in it,” says Kaur, pointing out how, with the larger seating capacity and disproportionate stage, actors are going to project themselves. “The audience will need earphones to listen to dialogues and giant screens to see the action,” adds Kaur. This is exactly what Aditya Prakash had anticipated when the talk about Tagore’s renovation was rife. “They are talking about making it a lot bigger but a theatre is an intimate set up. The sound that an actor makes on stage should reach out to the people in the last row. And if they have to use an amplifier for that, then it is not a theatre,” he says. Now as Tagore Theatre is taking a shape, more than the sentimental, the practical problems are surfacing. “Can’t comment on the stage because it defies logic to have a triangular stage, so one has to wait for the completion of the project. But as for the bigger capacity, it is better to have an intimate theatre because the audience, in order to enjoy any performance, should be able to feel the actor and smell his sweat. Same is the case for the actor, he needs to feel the waves of appreciation from the audience in order to give his best. And who needs such a large auditorium in a city like Chandigarh? Even the best theatres all over the world do not have more than 400 seats. And it gives the actor a high to see the auditorium jampacked rather than a huge one with half empty seats,” says theatre person Neelam Mansingh. True! Once in a while, we do get Shabana Azmi or Hema Malini performing here when extra seats have to be added. But that’s maybe, once in three years. So the question is, for whom is the auditorium being built? For those fleeting star performances or the local artistes and art lovers?
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The CITCO-run fast-food joint, where more than food the tree-trunk stools were the centre of attraction, now looks like a railway platform
NATURE is not spicing up the pleasure of reposing on tree trunks for savouring all that’s beautiful, and uncorrupted by the ways of the world, in the Leisure Valley-10.
And taking you away from good earth is none else than the Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation (CITCO). Oh yes, you may find it hard to digest, but the organisation has just pulled nature out of its menu. It has, in fact, removed tree trunks that served not just as sofas, but also tables, at its Leisure Valley fast food joint Stop `n’ Stare. The joint now offers you on a platter the consciousness of an artificial structure that extends abnormally, and refuses to gel with the lush green environs the valley was once appreciated for — all because CITCO had to accommodate tables and benches spare from another joint in Sector 43. “In reality, it now looks like just another restaurant, where you go and taste the routine of life, a place where everything exist, nothing has value, an area where you see but do not perceive,” says young English Literature student-cum-regular visitor to the spot Sudha Sharma. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they now install a high-wattage music system here to drown the whisper of cool afternoon breeze blowing soft across the trees.” Now, if you are wondering why all this hullabaloo about the replacement of natural seats with iron-framed hard benches that make the place look as if it’s a railway platform, the reason is not very hard to see. It manifests nothing, but the degeneration and concrete distortion of a concept. The Leisure Valley, starting from the foothills in Sector 1 and continuing till the city’s southernmost edge in Sector 53, was left spontaneous and naturally sublime to take care of the city’s body and spirit. In fact, Le Corbusier retained the eroded valley of a seasonal rivulet on the original site of the city and sculptured it into an 8-kilometer linear park. “You could actually listen to the silence in the chirping of the birds and see nature bloom in hanging clusters of red and gold on Bougainvilleas shrubs, while enjoying long walks through the foliage or performing outdoor yoga on the lush green lawns,” says city businessman Sunil Anand. “The valley was meant to function like Chandigarh’s lungs. But now the lungs are chocking; and the authorities are only carrying things from bad to worse.” That’s right! The valley once housed a newspaper library, carved out of cobbled mountain stones. It’s in ruins now, and no one is really bothered about it. Representations by residents? Well, they really do not make much of a difference. “Initially, Stop `n’ Stare was in the shape of a kiosk with thatched roof. Its conversion into a full-fledged fast-food joint had led to boisterous protests by the concerned citizens,” insists another resident Deepak Kumar. “A young lawyer even moved the court seeking judicial intervention to prevent the concept’s corrosion. And now, it has been turned into a full-fledged restaurant.” Well, fellows, the old order is changing. For
worse!
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D language of 2dy
FANCY buying and ‘ice’ for your wife? Ice in this cold? Well, do not jump to conclusions. For, what you hear is not what you get these days. But then don’t express your ignorance either, lest you get labelled as a ‘vanilla’. If you are thoroughly puzzled by this strange mumbo-jumbo, then we suggest you go through A-Z of Teen Talk. This is a dictionary on slang written by a 13-year-old America girl Lucy Van Amerongen. And, just in case you are still wondering, then ice is a substitute for diamond and vanilla means boring.
In an effort to bridge the communication gap, the elders in London have already grabbed 3,000 copies of the initial print of 5,000.The book went on sale in September last year. But, we are not so lucky yet, because all we have is the Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional Language that was printed way back in 1999 and it is inadequate in helping us to understand the ever-emerging new slangs. And guess what happens when there is a communication gap? A college student in a group discussion (in which teachers too were a part) asked all concerned to ‘cut down the crap and get to the point’. And what happened? The elders did not take it very kindly and he was pulled up severely. Now, though linguists like Iqbal Judge takes her students uttering ‘cool’ and ‘chillax’ kindly, she advises them to restrict it to conversations or SMS. “One cannot be judgmental about teenagers speaking their own lingo, but they should be told not to do so while writing an essay or a literary piece or while carrying out a conversation in a formal set up,” she says. “After all, we all have been through this phase. Didn’t we all use the word ‘solid’ to express a whole lot of emotions in our times which is now being replaced by ‘cool’?” she shoots back. The contracted version of words and SMS language is a trend that is here to stay. “For, it’s a generation in a hurry and a language is basically the reflection of the way the people think,” says Prof Rana Nayar of Department of English, Panjab University. In fact, from our conversation with Nayar we get to know of a recent debate held in the UK on whether students should be allowed to write in contracted form in classrooms. And lo and behold, the consensus was for it! “But here we are not going to get that far,” assures Nayar. “English is not our mother tongue. So when we learn the language, we will be learning the correct way,” he says. That’s for written English. But we seem to be a little safer when it comes to spoken English. Says Mohit Vasudeva, a technical assistant with Dell, “Here usage of slang will not be as big a problem as in America or England, simply for the fact that we Indians have the capacity to utter 250 to 300 words per minute whereas the international standard is 40 to 50 words per minute. So the necessity to cut down words into abbreviated form does not arise for us.” Their assurance brings a sense of relief, but at the same time the idea to subscribe to the online urban dictionary does not seem a bad idea at all. After all, who wants to be a vanilla? |
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Spice Telecom is teaming up with the Rotary and the Rotaract Club of Chandigarh, for the third consecutive year, to bring the SPICE ‘Rotary Heartline’ concert to the City Beautiful on February 27, 2008. Renowned international rock band Parikrama and Indi Rock-pop band Bandish will be performing in this concert that is a fundraiser in aid of economically weak children with heart ailments. The donor pass to the fundraiser will be available from Saturday, February 23 onwards at the Spice showrooms located at Sector 35, Sector 17 and Manimajra, at a nominal price of Rs 350, Rs 120 and Rs 50. Informs Chandigarh Rotaract Club’s President Ms Nupur Aggarwal, “The funds raised shall be used to perform heart surgeries for the children, who otherwise cannot afford the cost of the treatment.” The Rotary Club of Chandigarh, in association with the PGIMER, has already conducted over 200 cardiac surgeries free of cost, in the past four years, through their own resources. — TNS
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Chocolates are the new-age health-pills. Here’s how to never have enough of them!
All eyes on you
PAMPER yourself with sinful chocolate-based products and get beautiful, soft and supple skin.” Milk chocolates act as good moisturisers and make the skin smooth,” says clinic manager Cleopatra Harveen Kathuria. Chocolate facial, manicure and pedicure too help in rejuvenation. Chocolate spas are recommended in winters for dry skin. Besides, chocolate exfoliating gels add instant glow and chocolate syrups help to de-tan the skin. A perfect stress buster, chocolates remove pigmentation making the skin soft. No longer girlie
THE men brigade is not far behind when it comes to biting into a yummy chocolate, and many like being gifted with these too. Now, at times girls may be biting into the delights to deal with depression or mood swings, it is purely taste that rules when it comes to boys. As for the guy’s favourites, it is crunchy, loaded with nuts, Belgium, Swiss and liqueur chocolates. Say cheers
ALCOHOL and chocolate, could there be a combination more delicious and deadly than this? The flavour of the season is rum, whiskey and brandy. Liqueur chocolates like Scotch Bomb, Tequila Bomb, Vodka Bomb and Rum Balls are other must bites available at Nik Bakers-9. Or how about Lindt Irish Coffee chocolate, a combination of whiskey, coffee, and chocolate? Another scrumptious treat is Lindt Cognac Chocolate. It is enriched by whole milk powder, Cognac and cocoa mass. Wrap it up
CHOCOLATES say more than words. On various festivals and occasions, chocolates are substituting the old traditional sweets. Delightfully wrapped, they surely are a successful mantra to melt the heart of your loved one. Also, chocs have more shelf life than traditional sweets. Imported delights
NOW one doesn’t have to wait for NRI friends or relatives for imported chocolates. Gone are the days when only Ferrero Rocher was available on the shelves, now yummy as well nutritious cereal bar chocolates are available at the nearest stores. Though imported chocolates are slightly expensive, their demand continues to be high. The favourite with one and all are Swiss chocolates. Other options are Lindt, Toblerone and Mars. |
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Royal razmatazz
Sample this. She’s sitting pretty amidst a plethora of attendant friends and cousins, draped in shimmering bridals. Despite her tear-strewn, gleaming eyes and her well-chiseled face missing the glow of a bride (she’s not happy with the wedding arrangement, you see!), she exuberates an intrinsic sensuality – with an appealingly traditional nathni sparkling on her blush-tinted cheekbone, a charming kamarbandh dancing to her every move, exquisite maang-tika adorning her forehead, regal raani-haar and a choker embellishing her neck, intricately carved kangans and hathphuls jingling in her hands, rings and aarsi flashing on her delicate fingers and a nat-khat nathni caressing the corners of her lips.
Well, nothing indeed seemed to match the on-screen beauty of this bride (Ash as Jodhaa in Jodhaa Akbar, as you might have guessed), basking in her jewellery’s finery. And equally mesmerising in the flick is our jewellery-ensemble-flaunting Hrithik as Akbar. No wonder, his on-screen wife Jodhaa might have decided to swoon on the man’s rippling muscles, but we lesser mortals couldn’t help getting charmed by the man’s regal jewellery. And since we didn’t seem to have enough of these exquisite jewels (especially after reading those reports about Ash complaining of neck-ache after wearing this jewellery), Tanishq finally showcased the prêt line Jodhaa Akbar collection at Aroma-22 on Saturday. We checked out the stunning pieces, exclusively handcrafted for the movie. Created by a production team involving Tanishq designers, product managers and above 200 karigaars, who worked for about 2 years, these ornaments feature brilliant precious and semi-precious stones (mainly Rubies, Emeralds, Carnelians and Tournamlines), set in traditional Kundan and Meenakari technique. There’s interplay of interesting motifs (flowers, birds, animals and the sun), correlated with the power play in Akbar’s era. Masterpieces of the magnificent collection include ornate sarpeches/pagris (crafted as per the power and status of the wearer), gold hanslis (worn by Rajput women), Panchlaras (multi-string pearl neckpieces worn by Akbar), Navratnas (ornaments of nine gemstones, each evoking the energy and blessings of a planet), exotic kamarbandhs (worn by kings), bhor( Rajasthani maang-tika,aarsis (rings with mirror for the rani to look into), haathphools and of course Jodhaa’s 5 kg 12-piece wedding set! Must check out the display at Aroma today, before these pieces are whisked away to some other city for showcasing. If you’ve already checked out the jewellery and are eying some of it, fret not. For, though these 400 stunning pieces of exclusively handcrafted ornaments will finally find place in some museum, the replicas (gold and gem-set jewellery in 22 and 18 K gold in over 6,000 traditional and fusion looks) have been launched and are now available at the Tanishq showrooms. So jewellery connoisseurs rejoice and grab some of these collector’s pieces!
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TALKING non-stop, crying and laughing with you, loading you with freebies, and playing you the right music. Big FM completed a year of all this and more on Saturday. We joined the big family in their first anniversary celebrations at Mountview-10 and asked them how it feels to be ‘one’. Said cluster head, Punjab Big, FM Mohit Sharma, ”The year was packed with fun.We got into the pulse of the city with rock shows, Valentine’s bash, Sabse Big Diwali and more. We did our bit for society through activities like the City Banao Pretty campaign and put water stalls in summers .” And how do the stars behind the scenes, oops, behind the mike, feel ? The team comprising RJs – Anubhav, Arsh, Pankaj, Sukhi, Meenakshi, Sachin and Sunaina, are infused with fresh energy. Why not, for they have been with us 24 X 7. And who is the real chatterbox amongst them, we ask them. Sukhi and Pankaj comes as the unanimous choice. As for the most popular show, we go by the listeners’ choice —9-baje ki setting. Smiles RJ Meenakshi, “I have a total of 104 settings to my credit.” The coming year’s plans include stress on corporate social responsibility events, Campus RJs and Big City Kitty. But there is time for that. So, till then, Suno sunoa, life banao! — Purva Grover
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Whiff of Andhra
Handicrafts have always occupied a special corner in our homes. So the display of handicrafts and handlooms by the Andhra Pradesh Handicrafts Corporation in its exhibition-cum-sale called Lepakshi Heritage Collection’ at Lajpatrai Bhawan-15 is a must visit.
On display are craft pieces including acrylic paintings, oil paintings, sketches, nirmal paintings (with washable paint) metal embossing and Dhokra casting (brass moulded and cast into tribal figures). The range of the paintings varies from Rs 100 to a hefty Rs 17,000. Copper and brass pots with mythological carvings of ashtalakshmi and dashavatar and goat leather lampshades are the other attractions. Dress materials from different regions of Andhra Pradesh also share shelf space with the paintings and pots. Crochet lace, silk saris and kantha work (embroidered pieces), are some of the fabrics available here. Stone jewellery, with precious and semi precious stones and fresh water pearls from Hyderabad, (Rs 100-15,000) is another attraction.The exhibition is sponsored by the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. On till March 5 — Neha Jindal
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Nice & Easy
What makes a painting click? Theme, colour co-ordination or the way it is being executed? Well, sometimes, simplicity too can be a big drawing factor and this is what we see in Daphy Brar and Sonal Singh’s Mind Games at Alliance Francaise-36. So once you enter the exhibition hall, you can let go of your artistic instincts and just get submerged into the riot of colours. The aim of the artist-duo is to take you on a colourful journey without burdening your brain with artistic justifications.
To start with, Daphy has picked up motifs from Phulkari – not the usual floral type, but ancient animal motifs and geometrical patterns. “I am a happy person and hence use a lot of happy colours in my paintings,” admits Daphy, whose 12 frames come in oil on canvas. It took her almost one year to execute the volume of work. Now, if you are thinking what makes the artist call the exhibition Mind Games when there is nothing much for the mind to decipher, then the answer lies in Sonal’s volume of work. Again 12 frames based on ‘Celebrations of Life’, used by her are simple, picked up from everyday life, but the execution gets a little complicated as she has chosen semi-abstract forms to convey her feeling. And while Daphy’s emphasis is on forms, Sonal’s is on colour — myriad shades of blues and greens with hint of yellows – applied in thick, pure form with a spatula and hand. Concludes on February 29.
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Matka chowk I recently bought two small pieces of furniture from the Godrej store. These are the new age furniture – of little substance and sold in bits and pieces – to be assembled with instructions that seem to emanate from Beijing. It was not till I had bought those that the sales girl informed me that these were ‘assembly’ furniture. At that I recoiled, since I have experienced the ‘assembly’ syndrome. Almost everyone living in America has suffered the ‘assembly’ trauma at some time or the other, so well depicted in some of the TV shows, the exhausted Dad-to-be struggling over the bolts and bends of an assembly crib, under the duress of the expectant mother’s cynical eyes and infuriating comments. I was, however, assured that these pieces would be assembled for me by ‘technicians.’ I showed good faith and went home. Two days later, a couple of reriwallas arrived. They were simply delivery people and when asked about assembly, expressed total ignorance in Bihari-accented Hindi and left the goods. The boxes were good examples of modern packaging technology in truly ‘western’ style with fillings and cushioning and said in bold – ‘Made in Malaysia’. It also said – ‘Imported by Godrej for distribution in India’. I was impressed. This was truly beginning to look like a flat world – I mused. Why are we always talking of globalisation in terms of technology and networking when there are so many more areas getting equalised? More was to come. On a pre-determined day, a couple of technicians arrived. They unlike their American counterparts did not look at the assembly instructions and the diagrams. They started pulling things out of the box in an utterly random manner, banging and attaching the pieces in a freestyle technique. They worked with speed and deftness. When the older one started barking commands to the younger one I could tell they were Bengalis. I struck up a conversation with them in our mutual mother tongue – they were shocked and then thrilled and told me they came from a suburb of West Bengal and specialised in this line of business. When they left and I sank down on my sofa – this was true global fusion – western technology and our age-old people power, merged to produce beautiful results. Now, we can have furniture made from Canadian Pine in Nova Scotia, sold in Sector 17, carried by folks from Danapur and assembled by people from Ranaghat. Who cares about all the complex words thrown at us by the recent globalisation discourses like workflow software and supply chain management? The great horizontal movement within our own country and our own personal space is as big as cricket now. Next, we will be selling Rooafza in Rumanian bottles!
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Hemlata Vaidyan, Chandigarh I do appreciate your considerate nature. But you are too young to be bogged down by such dilemmas. In life nothing comes easy. Marriage alone is enough, yet it cannot be ignored either. However, that needn’t deter you from carving a career for yourself. Just keep yourself calm and balanced and explain to your in-laws that you are definitely going to have a family and having a university degree must not make them insecure. Do not fret, they’ll understand and all will be well very soon. I am a 32-year-old woman with a 3-year-old daughter. My husband is a businessman and keeps long hours. He is suspicious and is constantly fighting over my imaginary affairs. He even questions my daughter like who all visit the house when he is away. I feel all these are having a negative effect on her. He even shouts at me and uses bad language. I really don’t know how to deal with this. I feel like running out of the house the moment he is home. Please help. Manju Tiwana, Jallandhar Yours is a difficult situation. The trouble with all insecure people is that they are constantly doubting all the other people. There are very few perfect marriages. Most people compromise. You have to learn not to run away from the situation. Learning to face difficulties with courage is half the battle won. The answers to this will come once the acceptance comes. Make your husband feel loved, wanted and cherished. Perhaps that’s what he lacked in his childhood and that what made him develop a suspicious nature. If he feels secure, he will stop doubting. Try to do happy things together with your kid to make her feel the family bonding. Act with patience and resilience, life will fall into place naturally. lifestyletribune@gmail.com or Life Style, The Tribune, Sector 29-C, Chd
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Low back pain can occur while rising from deep seated chair, car seat, low bed as it causes strain on back muscles. —Dr Ravinder Chadha
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Dairy Milk’s Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye commercial has since long pointed at the transition — chocolates as the new-age meetha rather than the fat ol’ mithai. In fact, chocolates have been accepted as the water mouths of millions, not only of the kids but also the people of all age groups. But now, the scrumptious flavour of chocolate is not only the reason to be a chocoholic. There’s good news for chocolate lovers. A recent study in Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia, hints that consumption of chocolates can boost brainpower. So here’s how to soak yourself up in the sinful savoury:
I am 21 and studying in the university. I was married at 19 and decided to continue with my studies . Although my husband is broad minded, his family wants me to discontinue my studies and have children. I am keen on a career. Right now I feel torn between my in-law’s wishes and my own desires going. I feel guilty. Is it my duty to go and live with them or should I suit myself and keep studying and think about these things later.