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No Kidding! HER pout could give Angelina Jolie stiff competition. Her CV flaunts a shapely figure — Height: 3’-2”. Weight: 20 kg. Vital statistics: 16-13-16. She’s religiously regular with her swimming and cycling sessions. Her weight-watching ritual could put Size 0-aspiring-Bebo to shame. And yes, her lil’ pockets hold not lollies but plum assignments. That’s city-based , all of four. And what’s more, she is not the only one. The modelling, acting and ad bug has hit city kids and their parents big time. At an age when most can’t think beyond candies, chocos and cuddly toys, these little ones talk of watching their weight, perfecting their gait, getting clothes tailor-made and attending fancy workshops. Parents, too, are doing their bit by running them between grooming classes, portfolio shoots and photo-ops. But what is it that’s made the lure of the arc lights too hard to resist? Fills in local fashion choreographer Jeet Brar. “The craze for modelling and glamour has always been there. Even when fashion shows in the city were few and far-between, parents were willing to spend anything to launch their ‘wannabe young stars’ in the glamour world. But now, the parents’ approach has become more professional. From enrolling kids in dancing, diction and modelling classes, preparing impressive portfolios, getting them registered with coordinators to setting up websites, parents are sparing no effort.” Agrees event manager Jaspreet, “I’ve seen people willing to spend even a lakh on their kid’s portfolio and clothes. And now, the city is waking up to the need.” “As in other fields, here too, the competition is tough and the mantra for success is to start young,” laughs city-based event manager Gagreen, who has choreographed several toddlers. And just how young is young? “Six months onwards. After all, kids are always needed for baby food products!” But what is the driving force — the big moolah? “If I ask you to name six famous Indian doctors, you’ll start thinking. But if I ask you to name even 10 models and actors, you’ll go on non-stop. Now, that’s the magic of glamour. So why waste time if the kid’s got it in him?” comes Gagreen’s quite an in-the-face reply. He shortly plans to launch a modelling school for kids in the 3-13 age group. Just how taxing is the rigmarole for the child? “It must be,” says Sunaina Sobti, mother of three. “I see my seven-year-old daughter’s classmates avoiding chocolates, ghee and burgers. Sometimes competitions are taken too seriously and contestants can become bitter if they don’t win.” Disagrees Renu Dadwal, “My three-year-old-daughter Vanshika is quite comfortable on the ramp. She’s done many baby shows and ramp assignments. I feel she can make it big and find nothing wrong in making her do aerobics and skip junk.” Adds her friend Swati Awasthi, “Haven’t parents always lived their dreams through children? And sometimes, there is a lot of peer pressure and kids themselves want to be a part of it.” Like seven-year-old Anushka Bindra, who dreamt of being Miss Universe since age three! “Right from wearing custom-made outfits to playing basketball and watching her weight, my daughter’s all for fashion. And why should I mind if she’s doing well in her studies and also maintaining herself?” smiles proud mommie, Rashmi Bindra. Chip in D. S. Gill and Umesh Kant of Storm Finishing and Modelling School-8, “Children are like liquid wax. If we spot a spark in them, we train them.” But isn’t it like putting kids in yet another grind at a very young age? “‘The kids enjoy castings, trying on clothes and having their pictures taken. But more than that, it’s like complete personality development and a great boost for their self-esteem. The recognition can affirm the child’s popularity but if there is too much pressure, the child will not be able to manage the fame,” says psychologist Neera Bindra. “It all depends on how the parent relates to the child. If they do so in a healthy way, it can benefit the child and be a good influence. Parents should ask themselves why their child is entering competitions or doing modelling? Does the child’s personality allow him or her to enjoy that level of attention?
anandita@tribunemail.com |
Enlightened Blackout OUR country is not officially part of it, but a bunch of city youngsters believe they can make a difference. So, when they contacted us to help spread awareness on global warming, we not only agreed but joined in too.
An international movement, Earth Hour asks households and businesses to simply turn off lights and non-essential electrical appliances from 8-9 p.m. on this Saturday to promote power conservation and thus, lower carbon emissions. In its second year, the event is promoted by World Wide Fund for Nature, Australia. While last year its reach was limited to Sydney, this year it hopes to partner cities, individuals, oragnisations all around the world. And kudos to them for this year 29 countries have already signed in! And well, as for individuals the participation is increasing by the minute. Last checked, 2,34,723 individuals and 17,001 businnesses had pledged participation. In it’s first year, Earth Hour is estimated to have cut Sydney’s mains electricity consumption by between 2.1% and 10.2% for that hour, with as many as 2.2 million people taking part. It was part of a wider awareness campaign that aimed to reduce Sydney’s carbon emissions by five per cent. As for our youth brigade, they got acquainted with the Earth Hour movement through an editorial piece. They are students of Panjab University’s UIET and members of its NGO, Mitr. So, how is it coming along? “We have the permission of our institue’s director to implement Earth Hour on our campus and the vice-chancellor has also agreed to send out a note to all departments,” tells Mitr spokesperson Shalini Wadhwa. By word of mouth, the group has also managed to rope in individuals on campus. They’ve also tied up with the Environment Saviors and are talking to the authorities at Infosys-Chandigarh to join in. Also on the agenda is an awareness rally from Sector 22 to Sector 17 on Friday which depends on police clearance. Remember, every bit counts, so join in now. To know more & register, visit www.earthhour.org
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New releases
Starring: Sunil Shetty, Tusshar Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Upen Patel, Esha Deol, Sameera Reddy, Tanishaa Mukherjee, Neetu Chandra Director:
Ashwani Dheer THE film is a comic caper about a crazy bunch of people doing the wrong things for the right reason. Diamonds worth Rs100 million are stolen from a dangerous don, Papa (Mukesh Tiwari) and the precious stones accidentally fall in the hands of young love birds — Chandu (Upen) and Chandni (Tanisha) — who quickly hide them in a car. Papa and his idiotic henchmen are desperately hunting for the diamonds while hot-headed police officer Mayavati Chautala (Neetu) wants to nab criminals. Enter the first Laxmi Narayan (Tusshar), who belongs to a mafia family. He goes to hotel Blue Diamond to kill Papa. Now enter the second Laxmi Narayan (Shetty), a management postgraduate from Darjeeling. He too is sent to hotel Blue Diamond to collect a new car for his boss from Laila (Sameera). The third Laxmi Narayan (Paresh) is a hawker who has made so much money selling underwear on the footpath that he has set up a lingerie factory for his son. His son sends him to the same hotel to collect lingerie samples from upcoming designer Jiya (Esha). Three Laxmi Narayans are at the same place at the same time waiting for messages at the hotel reception desk. The messages go to the wrong people. Comedies did well last year. This year too, Sunday was appreciated, and One Two Three might carry forward the trend. See for yourself! Showing at: Piccadily, Fun Republic, Suraj
(Pkl) |
Starring: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Cuba Gooding Jr., Josh Brolin, Yul Vazquez, Armand Assante, Ted Levine Director:
Ridley Scott THE
Academy Award-nominated 2007 crime film is based on a true story. Frank Lucas (Washington) is a real-life kingpin from Harlem who smuggled heroin into the US on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War. Richie Roberts (Crowe) plays a detective attempting to bring down Lucas’ drug empire. Following the death of his employer and mentor, Bumpy Johnson, Frank establishes himself as the number one importer of heroin in the Harlem district of Manhattan. He does so by buying heroin directly from the source in South East Asia and he comes up with a unique way of importing the drugs into the United States. As a result, his product is superior to what is currently available on the street and his prices are lower. His alliance with the New York Mafia ensures his position. It is also the story of a dedicated and honest policeman, Richie Roberts, who heads up a joint narcotics task force with the Federal government. Filming was done on location in New York City. Showing at: Fun Republic |
Little Interview FOR Tanuja’s daughter and Kajol’s sister Tanishaa, recognition has come after a long time. After a non-happening debut in Bollywood and some films like Tango Charlie, Popcorn Khao Mast Ho Jao, Sarkar and Yash Chopra’s Neil and Nikki, Tanishaa is tipped to be a show stealer in the debutant director Ashwani Dheer’s comedy with an edge One Two Three. With the film’s release this week, she’s hoping to consolidate her acceptance as an actress of substance. Tanishaa talks to Life Style about her film and the forthcoming projects. n
After some wait, your new film is on the verge of release, how are your feeling? This is a perfect film for me. I am both excited and impatient to see how the viewers react to my character and the film. n
How was it working with Upen Patel? Upen is a very talented actor. The film has been an enriching experience. I would love to work with him again. n
What is the film all about? One Two Three revolves around diamond theft. The film is all about a crazy bunch of people doing the wrong things for the right reason. n
How was the experience of working with Ashwani Dheer as a director? Mindblowing. Writer-turned-director Ashwani is one of the best directors. He gets involved with you as a person, which is so heartwarming. n
On what basis do you choose a film? The most important criteria is how interesting is the story and how important is the character. n
Finally what are your expectations from One Two Three? The film has been made with a lot of passion and everyone has worked hard. I am sure the sincerity will touch the audience. n
What are the other films in the pipeline? I am doing Sarkar Raj with Ram Gopal Verma. Some other projects are also in the pipeline.
— Dharam Pal |
youth speak WHY don’t the parents understand if their child falls in love? Is it that they fear that the child will not take care of them in their old age or they don’t trust the child to be mature enough? Why can’t they realise that it is easier to lead a happy life with complete understanding with the person you love rather then adjusting with a stranger? When a child is capable enough to take decisions and understand the value of life, shouldn’t he be allowed to choose his partner? If a child is a fool (though no child is a fool), then it’s different but if he’s mature enough and works hard for his career, then shouldn’t he be allowed to be happy? Why do we still look into caste, creed etc? Call it a generation gap or a communication gap, but the gap exists. If the parents care for their offspring, then why are they selfish in this part, why don’t they understand the maturity level of a child instead of considering him a bachha always? If a person loves his wife more, then does it mean he will leave the parents alone in their old age or he wont Is love a thing that can be divided? If a student in his career has these things in mind and due to the indifferent behavior of his/ her parents, can’t communicate with them properly, how can anybody expect him/ her to focus only on studies and career? Everything should be given due importance and the parents should respect the feelings of their children instead of just asking, “Humne aap ki parvarish mein kya koi kasar chhodi
hai?” Feel strongly about something? If you are under 25, this is the forum for you. Mail us your views in not more than 300 words along with a passport photograph at lifestyletribune@gmail.com |
American actress Demi Moore has revealed her secret to looking sexy even at the age of 45 — medical leeches. Demi revealed on Tuesday March 25, on the Late Show With David Letterman, how she went for body cleansing to Australia, and how the treatment included a leech therapy. The Flawless star explained how ‘the highly trained medical leeches’ were first placed in her belly button. “You feel them bite down on you, and you want to go, ‘You bastard!’ and then you relax and watch it swell up,” she said. “They have a little enzyme that when they are biting down in you, it gets released in your blood and generally you bleed for quite a bit and your health is optimised,” she said. “It detoxifies your blood - I’m feeling very detoxified right now,” she added. — ANI |
Punjabi perfection THIS Punjaban is no different from our other Chandigarh kudis. She grew up admiring her mom and masi(s) sporting lovely dresses, exquisite jewellery and wonderful make-up, and developed a liking for all things bright and beautiful. “The roots of my interest in the glamour world lay in the fact that it would give me a chance to don all these lovely things,” smiles Nandini Singh aka Kesar of Star’s Kesar. No wonder, in the soap she plays this Punjabi girl from Jamalpur with such perfection. Singh is Ambala born and studied till fourth grade at Sacred Heart here. So how did TV and the later flicks happen? Working as an airhostess with Jet Airways, she got a boost to take up modelling, courtesy pleasant comments from passengers like Bappi Lehri and Babul Supriyo. And in 2001, Aryan’s popular video Dekha Hai Teri Ankhon Ko happened. Soon, a flick called Ek Aur Ek Gyara came her way. Next, she was playing the central character in a Balaji soap! Plus, we also saw her playing Pammi, Kavya’s second wife in another Balaji soap KavyAnjali. How does she choose between TV and flicks? “There can be no better grooming ground than TV. As a part of a soap, you face the camera daily and it prepares you for a stint in the tinsel town,” she says. Back to TV. Ask her about Star One’s Shhhh..Phir Koi Hai and the child in her comes alive. “We’ve all heard ghost stories in our childhood, so the idea of acting in a supernatural plot fascinated me,” she says. Does she believe in ghost tales? ”No way, but yes, a friendly and caring bhoot does sound interesting,” she giggles. So what else interests her? A luxurious spa, a jogging session, a long walk, and a good book. Mention Chandigarh and her face lights up, “I miss the city, especially biting into a softy at Sector 17 and dining at Shivalik and Piccadily,” she says. So do we see her here soon? “Yes, I have my friends and family in the city and keep visiting them,” she signs off.
purva@tribunemail.com
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MANY a hearts would skip a beat each time the sports captain of D’ Nobili High School would come on the screen. The unusual cute looking Rushad Rana aka Raghav was for sure one of the reasons behind our sitting glued to Hip Hip Hooray. But, that was way back in 1999, talk today and the Parsi guy is not only secured a place in Indian hearts but is eyeing a place in the living rooms across the border too. Unfortunately his recent most venture Don would be on air in Pakistan, Dubai and London and not on Indian television. So what’s Don all about? A social drama, it’s a story of a strong business family and their problems. “It’s a cross culture venture that gave me a chance to interact with various other artists,” says Rushad. And what about us Indian telly viewers? “Sadly, at present, it’s just Shhhh..Phir Koi Hai,” he says. Here, as a royal heir, he fights a tree ghost to save the family’s treasure. Ask him to comment on the present scene in tellydom, where channels, soaps and stars are being born each day and his serious side comes forth, “ It’s good to see fresh talent and TV getting bigger, but then, the quality is deteriorating.” Recalling the days when he would go from one production house agent’s office to another to drop his resume, he says, “It’s all so easy today.” More to Rushad, the fun-loving guy, (by the way, his fave hangout place is Mumbai malls) is his philosophical and mystical outlook towards life. Heartfelt and The Alchemist happen to be his favourite. And does he write too? “Yes, but nothing formally, I just pen down anything that flows from my heart,” he says. Also, what excites him is travelling and catching flicks. And what about acting in flicks? He has previously played Rani Mukherjee’s confidante / lawyer in Veer Zara and Gul Panag’s husband in Dor. “I am shooting for Aadhar with Anupam Kher, this will be my first full fledged flick,” he says. So all you girlies get ready to check him out on 70 MM! |
National art, local platform IT took quite a few years of persistence by our artist folks to convince Lalit Kala Akademi to hold their national exhibition in the city. So, the inauguration of the 50th exhibition of the Akademi on Wednesday evening gave us enough reason to be proud of. One, finally the Akademi had agreed. Two, it’s been proved that the city has a strong local support base to hold an exhibition of this magnitude. Three, for us, this exhibition gives a panoramic view of the latest that is happening in the Indian art scene with 119 artists showcasing 135 works of art. Though sadly enough, only one entry from Chandigarh has made it to the show — Ajay Kumar Pande’s untitled wooden sculpture that depicts the struggle of life. Looking at the work, one can see that the paintings and even the installations are becoming more idea-centric. Like Yati Jaiswal’s Political Claptrap, Vikjay Kumar’s Decorative Chair or Vipin Kumar Yadav’s Talent Search. Yati has executed her painting with acrylic on canvas, Bijoy with ink and pen on paper and Vipin with acrylic and charcoal on canvas. All three are award winners and their work stands out for their strong compositions rather than their visual appeal. Another painting that finds a prominent position at the exhibit is Sher Singh’s untitled abstract, eye-catching once again because of its composition — a comb and a pair of scissors. “This is not a ceremonial exhibition,” we were told by the secretary of the Akademi Sudhakar Sharma. “Our jury has reviewed them thoroughly before giving the final nod for display,” he says. Of course that goes without saying because these 135 entries had stood out among a total number of 7,388 works. In paintings one does see much of experimenting, except for a few like Shunmuga Ramachandran’s untitled watercolour. It is the intricacy of brush strokes that imparts the right texture to the paintings that deserves a special mention. No doubt, it is an award winner. So is Jyotimoy De’s Nature Creates, a vibrant acrylic painting, it’s a joy to look at for the freshness it radiates. The strongest point of this exhibition are the etchings — Dimple B Shah’s Metamorphic Distillation and B. Sadhik Basha’s Eden Garden executed by applying techniques of both etching and serigraphy. A close runner is Asim Pal’s Divya Drishti. All three have bagged the coveted award in this category. The installation section too have a few interesting offerings like Vipul Kumar’s Horoscope + Landscape = Horoscape which one encounters right at the entrance. This black marble installation is based on the sun-dial concept and is an award winning entry. Others that arrest one’s attention are: Amrish Kumar’s search for self- realization, which he calls Aatm Manthan — interesting with a huge aluminum ball and terra cotta human figures. Amita Kulkarni’s Mindscape where the artist has used all three media — fibreglass, wood and metal. The other two award-winning entries are Mazhar Elahi’s photograph titled Eternity-II and Nagasamy Ramachandran’s installation When I mean to say it is Black-White-its ‘Me’. Interesting composition with an interesting caption! A must visit show for its work and also for the fact that the exhibition is a milestone for Chandigarh art. On till April
26
parbina@tribunemail.com |
Sidelanes GOA, the family paradise in India, has been tarnished. Remo is ranting. Oscar is as balanced and calm as ever. Naik is speaking from a holier-than-thou pedestal and Kamat is hiding under every dusty carpet he can find at the beautiful secretariat on top of the hill at Porvorim. No one has yet found a solution to the problems that come with Goa’s economy — the tourists. The word “shack” conjures up a sleazy picture with even darker visions of rave parties and dirty dancing. This is not so. Hotels, streets and homes in any urban area are as susceptible to modern temptations as the humble shack. Last winter, we took the family for a holiday to a Candolim seaside shack. We stayed by the beach in a village house. These pucca houses have rooms for tourists on hire for a week to a year, depending on the weight of your wallet. At 1/10th the cost of a hotel, there is AC, hot and cold water, a fridge and comfortable beds. The shack or eating place is a palm-frond covered structure about 200 metres from the sea. Under it are rustic tables and chairs facing the thrashing waters. A part of the shack is walled off with bamboo matting to serve as a temporary kitchen. It provides fresh food throughout the day. Just outside the shack is a temporary loo with a toilet and basin. The water is piped in from the pucca house that is approximately 500 metres away. At the waters edge are wooden pallets with mattresses for lying down and reading, meditating, massages, tattooing and buying kitsch from the occasional vendor. All those renting the rooms, eat at the shack. This adds up to a vision of Utopia. The dark side is the drug peddlers. They come in various guises – taxi-drivers, vendors, cooks, bar boys and even the tourists. Watching life on the beach is an education. The Brazillian woman got a fix from the taxi-driver. Young boys and girls came across and hired rooms for the night. The same thing happens at big hotels. There were people who were starkers, swimming in the sea. They were unself-conscious and did not know the code of conduct in India. It is time the tourist department handed out leaflets to all visitors. One of the masseuses, a tall willowy woman called Bebo from Karnataka, sat beside a beefy Italian. He stroked her arm. Languages may differ but the body has its own communication. I talked to this woman. Her son is a waiter at the shack. He sleeps on the same mattress as the Italian who gets a daily massage. His older sister looks after the babies as his father helps build mansions. The family moves across the border for six months before the rains. They earn enough for year. Another family suicide is thus averted. Perhaps, these are the grassroots our country needs to tackle, not the cops, Fiona and Scarlett. The mother brought part of the British welfare state to India, but did not bother to understand India. If she had, Scarlett would have survived. Till every Indian’s belly is full, the waters will remain scarlet.
(This column appears weekly) |
After almost five decades, Michael Clayton star George Clooney brought Hollywood glamour to his hometown by premiering his latest film. Clooney chose Maysville to premiere Leatherheads and was joined by co-star Renee Zellweger on the Red Carpet. His father Nick too attended. “It was a huge part of my life, this town. I’m just like them. I just happen to be a little more famous. They really are family. If you’re from a small town, you don’t really ever shake that. It’s the best support system and they’re always the biggest critics, which is kind of the fun of it,” Clooney said. Nicole’s jewellery line Nicole Richie is looking forward to adding another project to her portfolio — a jewellery line. Nicole is designing jewellery pieces that will be produced by Mouawad.The Reality TV socialite, who became a mom recently, is very happy with how the production process is going on, as she is able to fit in her time for designing and looking after her newborn daughter Harlow Winter. “It’s all costume jewellery. I like to play with jewellery and mix and match. ,” she said. Besides the jewellery project, Nicole is also an author, actress and singer and is launching a children’s clothes range and looking forward to producing her own fragrance.
— Agencies
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Frozen shoulder is a painful condition that results in severe loss of motion. It involves an underlying inflammatory process wherein the capsule surrounding the shoulder joint contracts, leaving less space for the upper arm bone to move around. Patients suffering from diabetes, thyroid, enforced immobility, overuse injuries or surgery are more prone. The condition is marked by pain midway between elbow and shoulder joint and difficulty in lifting arm above the head. Treatment: Steroid injection decreases inflammation. Anti-inflammatory medication is suggested. Manipulation can help decrease pain, increase range of motion. Exercises: Stretching and strengthening can reduce pain, inflammation and increase range of motion. Try wall walk by placing hand of the affected shoulder on the wall and slowly crawling upwards. Return back. Or external rotation by interlocking hands behind neck. Move the elbows outside forcefully. Shoulder flexion involving clasping hands together and lifting overhead with straight elbows while lying, sitting is also helpful.
— Dr Ravinder Chadha
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