The Sibling Act
Purva Grover

COPYCATS, little ones, cheater cocks or shorty, we call our siblings by many such names. And yet, despite the teasing and the hidden rivalry, the sibling bond is one beautiful irreplaceable bond. Hmm... perhaps that explains why we all grow up with a dream to be like our siblings. And well, the aspiration to step into the shoes of our brothers or sisters holds true in the tinsel town too. However, sadly though over the years hardly any Bollywood siblings have tasted success, save a exceptions like Karishma and Kareena Kapoor. Lets track down the journey of some of the Bollywood siblings who haven’t been able to make it as big as their brothers or sisters.

Kaun Kapoor?

This man just could not take off and then finally gave up. Sanjay Kapoor, remember him? The guy in Prem, Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe, Shakti, Raja and more. Hmm`85we don’t really know anything else about him or his whereabouts. In case you know then keep it to yourself, who is interested anyway?

Khan Khandaan

Okie, now for these brothers, it’s all in the family. They produce, act and direct for their brotherly love. Why? For, it’s only Salman Khan in the trio who is a superstar. Sohail Khan’s post- acting kitty boasted of Auzaar, Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya and Hello Brother and then the acting bug bit him and he failed. The career graph of Arbaaz Khan (his only claim to fame is wifey Malaika) too reads almost the same. Hmm... so it seems elder brother Sallu is their only SOS!

Painful Patel

It’s tough to decide who is a bigger failure of the two, Amisha or Ashmit. To be fair, we can rate Amisha higher than her brother, for at least she has one blockbuster to her credit Kaho Na Pyaar Hai. As for Ashmit, all one knows is that he is her brother. It would be too much to hope that one remembers his debut flick Inteha. How and where are the brother-sister earning their livelihood, is anybody’s guess.

Kool Koiralas

We insist to call them kool bro-sis, because the somewhat successful sister Manisha Koirala vanished for a while, only to return back as a launchpad for her little brother Siddharth. The dismal debut Anwar was enough to fortale the future. As for what he is upto these days, nobody, even the Wikipedia, knows
about it.

Chirkut Chopra

Who is he’ was the first reaction when we saw him jumping like a monkey in Mohabbatein. The credits of the movie explained it all, Uday Chopra, aka Chirkut, was the little bro of Aditya Chopra. Well, so his kind family later roped him for Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai, Dhoom and Dhoom 2. Other flicks like Charas and Supari too were flops at BO. Well, all we can suggest to little Chopra is to go back to helping bro and dad in direction. For those who don’t know, he has assited them in Dil To Pagal Hai, Hum Tum and Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge.

Struggling Shetty

It took the elder of these two sisters many flicks – hit and flop, item numbers and finally a reality show to show what she is made up of. Shilpa Shetty’s triumph of success began with Baazigar and reached its height with Big Brother. Sibling Shamita debuted in Yash Raj’s blockbuster Mohabbatein and did manage to catch the attention in this multistarer flick. Soon, she got labelled as an item girl, till her first solo act in Zeher in 2005. Post that Cash saw her shaking a leg and that’s it. Perhaps, she is busy gloating in the popularity of her elder sis!

Missing Mukherjee

Her elder sister just can’t stop giggling — be it at an awards night, a talk show or an interview. No wonder, Kajol just came, saw and conquered. And while success grabbed her even post marriage, her little sister Tanisha Mukherjee struggled for a few years to even get noticed. In 2003 came Ssshhh, followed by unremarkable and unmemorable Popcorn Khao Mast Ho Jao, Tango Charlie and more. A few Telgu and Tamil flicks came her way, till Neal n Nikki in 2005 and then Sarkar when the audience finally began to recognise her. As of now, the Nikki is missing, and yes nobody seems to be missing her much.

Aspiring Arora

She is the sibling of the gorgeous Malaika Arora Khan. But, all that the little sis of the Chaiya Chaiya girl has to her credit is a series of flops and a handful romantic links. Amrita Arora made her debacle debut with Fardeen Khan in Kitne Door Kitne Paas, a flick that we forget the moment it was released. What followed were films like Girlfriend, Fight Club and a few special appearances that don’t ring a bell. Lined up for 2008 is another flick called Heroes. Well, here’s hoping this one will work for this little sis!

purva@tribunemail.com

Beerable!
Purva Grover

AFP photoIT’S the greatest drink ever invented, they say. Benjamin Franklin called it a proof of god’s loves and his way of keeping us happy. Some think it could well substitute water. A few say there is nothing it can’t solve. And a lot many just swear by their love for it. The brew in question is beer. A true sign of ‘the real man’, a frothy taste that sends the tongue rolling on a free-spirited experience — that’s how city’s beer drinkers passionately describe ‘the men’s drink’.

"Obviously, real men drink beer. If you consider yourself a man and you opt to drink, embrace this man’s drink, "says Sumit who often engages himself in a beer marathon with buddies. A real man’s endurance test is what they like to call it. Though, he confesses, "It’s not a very good idea to be competitive on the bar." Well said, Sumit. Okie, back to brew passion. So does that mean what chocolate is to gals, beer is to guys?

Drinker’s Dictionary

Barley sandwich: Beer for lunch.
Beer pressure: Tendency to drink what your friends drink.
Blackout brigade: Heavy drinkers group
Booze muscle: Increase in courage post heavy alcohol consumption.
Buzzkill: Something that abrupts the drinking session, say a fight or shortage of cash.

"Can there be a better evening than enjoying beer with buddies?," asks Vikram. "It’s one drink that can be had anywhere, anytime — be it by the roadside, in a pub, a party or at workplace (oops!)." Tejinder’s reason for drinking is simple and educative —"I want to send across the message that beer is not daaru, but just an awesome refreshing drink." His fave brand to quench thirst is Fosters. While Vikram is all thanks to Vijay Mallya and UB for their king size invention Kingfisher.

For Amit, a hot summer day is incomplete without a chilled beer down the throat. He says, "Once you get hold of a beer, whatever else is happening in your life or the world becomes trivial." He enjoys his fresh and crispier tasting draught beer with masala coated peanuts. So what else makes up as beer snacks? Smiles Rajiv, a hardcore non-vegetarian, "If you love beer, you got to love chicken too." Chips in his beer buddy Abhijeet, "A simple mutton preparation with mere salt, pepper and onion rocks with beer." And what about our vegetarian drinkers? Comes a suggestion — try brown bread with garlic cheese spread and mustard sauce with the chilled delight!

Hmm.. now all this makes us wonder if it were our lads who inspired Benjamin Franklin. Now, that’ll require a lot of research, as of now all we can do is safely conclude that men do bond and swear by beer!

First Day First Show
Gutsy attempt
Rajiv Kaplish

Shourya
Watchable

YOU really need shourya (courage) to reinvent a Hollywood hit. Director Samar Khan has plenty of it. He quietly lifts the story of A Few Good Men, makes some changes and passes it off as a film with a contemporary theme.

Major Siddhant Chowdhury (Rahul Bose) is a carefree officer defending Capt Javed Khan (Deepak Dobriyal), accused of revolting against his senior and killing him during an operation in Kashmir. For a strange reason, the accused is not ready to say anything in his defence. Siddhant’s buddy, Major Aakash Kapoor (Jaaved Jaafferi) is the prosecutor who goes strictly by the rules. Helping Major Siddhant unravel the mystery is journalist Kaavya (Minissha Lamba). Then, there is Brig Pratap (Kay Kay) who has strong beliefs and biases. The more Siddhant gets involved, the more he discovers things are not what they appear to be.

The flick which has already made the Army’s hackles rise due to the depiction of the communal angle in the forces moves at a languid pace in the first half but gains momentum in the second.

The only reason why Shourya should be seen is the performances and the powerful dialogues. Rahul Bose, Jaaved and Menon have done full justice to their roles. Though at times, Kay Kay sounds quite melodramatic and goes overboard to drive home his point. Minissha Lamba is a big disappointment. Deepak Dobriyal impresses in his cameo. The filmmaker and the actors would do well to correct the spellings and pronunciation of the scene of the crime, which is Pulwama, not Pulwana.

Showing at: Fun Republic

Damp Squib
Bhram
Avoidable

TWO weeks after Race comes another suspense film. Only, Bhram does not brag of a stellar cast. But nonetheless, Bhram holds its own.

Shantanu (Dino Morea) is on a mission to locate the mysterious Indra, a man from his sweetheart Antara’s (Sheetal Menon) past to find out what crime he had committed that almost ruined her life. His partner in this endeavor is Chetan Hansraj who has earlier done bit roles in films like Anthony Kaun Hai, Koi Aap Sa And Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat. The film oscillates between the present and past. There is the tortured damsel in distress Antara, and Shantanu — her knight in shining armour. Everything seems to be going well until intermission. And that’s where we see the first threads of suspense.

The second half is faster and works better than the first. Secrets are revealed, illusions are shattered, and we begin to see people for what they really are. Dino and Sheetal do justice. Milind as Shantanu’s brother is seldom seen (what a pity!). The homegrown Simone Singh plays Milind’s wife and has great screen presence and presents a natural performance. The lovable bhabhi-devar banter in the first half is refreshing.

Music has been composed by Siddharth-Suhas and Pritam Chakraborty. Jaane kyun tanha ho gaye and Meri Akhiya are good numbers. Director Pawan Kaul has put in a lot of effort in his second directorial venture and it shows.

Though Bhram seems to have all the ingredients of a potboiler — plenty of steamy scenes, sexy women and gorgeous men — there’s only so much that you can take of them. The film has many plots and twists, but does not grip you as it should. — TNS

Showing at: Fun Republic

Doing away with misconceptions
Khuda Kay Liye
Must watch

Rajiv Kaplish

They live in troubled times. If their modernity is reviled in their own country, their religion evokes xenophobic tendencies in the rest of the world. That’s the dilemma of liberal Muslims caught between fundamentalists and cynics after 9/11, which director Shoaib Mansoor of Khuda Kay Liye, the first Pakistani film to be released commercially in India after 43 years, wanted to depict.

"I wanted to project the tragedy of a liberal Muslim who, in his country, is not considered a good Muslim because of his modernity and outside his religion, he is labelled a fundamentalist just for having a Muslim name," he told an interviewer.

And he largely succeeds in his mission. The story leaves no tragic possibility in the lives of forward-looking Muslims unexplored. It is woven around educated and open-minded Muslims who are torn between their identity and their progressive outlook.

There is a British national of Pakistani origin, Hussain (Humayun Kazmi), who is chastised for not adhering to the tenets of his religion and is forced to marry his UK-born daughter, Mary (Iman Ali), against her wishes. Then, there is the trauma of a young Pakistani musician, Mansoor (Shaan), who goes to the USA for higher studies, but is arrested and tortured by the US authorities after the tragic events of 9/11 for his alleged links with Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaida.

Back home, his moderate brother, Salmat (Fawad Khan), is motivated by an old extremist friend, Sher Shah (Hameed Sheikh), and a radical cleric, Maulana (Rasheed Naz), to become a religious fanatic. He is pressurised to marry his cousin and ultimately joins the ranks of hardliners.

The movie clears several misconceptions about Islam. The pathos of human beings trapped between modernism and conservatism is depicted in a manner that has never been done before. Shaan, the Shah Rukh Khan of Pakistani cinema, gives a power-packed performance as a victim of the callousness of the USA, which is bent upon branding him as a terrorist. His encounters with law enforcement officers are riveting. Iman Ali, the top model of Pakistan, who enacts the role of Mary, is easy on the eye. Fawad Khan as Shaan’s younger brother passes muster. Rasheed Naz and Naseeruddin Shah as a scholar who gives the right interpretation of the religion are impressive.

Though the movie is devoid of humour and glamour, it comes as a whiff of fresh air from across the border.

Showing at: Fun Republic

Write to Renee

at lifestyletribune@gmail.com or Life Style, The Tribune, Sector 29-C, Chd

I am a 22-year-old girl in love with a guy who is just not bothered. All my friends have been advising me to forget about him since he does not care for me. However, I think otherwise, I feel that love is not about possessing somebody. Don’t we love God despite having never seen him? Then why can’t we love someone without expecting something in return? He is my first love and I can never forget him. It is not his fault, he did want to meet me but I backed out. We’ve talked over the phone at times but have never spoken to each other face to face. Tell me whether my friends are correct or am I right?

Mansi, Bathinda

I think you are a sensitive child and also very naive. To some extent I feel your friends are correct in asking you to forget him, at the same time I feel if you had given him a chance to know you, you could have expected him to reciprocate your feeling. If you have never interacted with him then what can you expect? Since he has expressed a desire to meet you why don’t you take him up? Try striking a conversation with him and see how you both relate to each other. I do appreciate your feelings about god and love. Yes, love is not about possession, yet there has to be a level of practicality in a relationship. You can love someone without expecting something in return but it would be better if your feelings are reciprocated.

I am 39-year-old and got married recently. As a small kid I used to be very unwell that turned into a breathing problem later. As a kid I would get fits but now these are quite ok. I have been on heavy medication throughout but have somehow lowered the dosage. Now, I have put on a lot of weight. I would like to give up on my medicines and start a family. My husband too is keen for us to have a child but I seem to be unable to get rid of my problems. I want to look beautiful and lead a normal healthy life. I feel that my illness has overtaken my life since childhood. Help me deal with all this.

Surinder Kaur, Phillaur

I feel that sometimes when the body is going through a lot of discomfort one starts seeking comfort in food. It may help to feed your emotional weakness. But, remember it is you who has to make yourself stronger. Once you are in balance you can control your food habits. The medication is only required in a state of imbalance of mind and body both. Join a health club and eat balanced food, this will out your mind in the correct frame. Once you’ve achieved this you’ll find yourself moving towards your goal of looking beautiful and also think of having a baby as you desire. Take charge of your life, don’t lament over the past.

I am a 27-year-old guy. I have just returned to India as a qualified engineer from the U.S.A. Right now I am in the process of deciding whether I should go back and work there or join a MNC here. As a kid I always wanted to serve my country. I feel that most of the western world has benefited from the talent of us, Indians. We, as a nation, are deprived of the excellent services of our people because we don’t have the right atmosphere to explore the talent to its maximum potential. My friends tell me that I should return to U.S else I will waste my talent here. Please advise.

Manmohan Chatwal, Panchkula

In today’s age it is indeed a pleasure to see that idealism still exists. I appreciate y effort in feeling for your country and wanting to give it your best. I also agree that other countries provide a nurturing environment for talent to blossom. But, India too is on the move now. As far as using your potential is concerned you can definitely exploit it fully here for with globalization around there is nothing we lack in terms of opportunities. So before making a decision on where to start working just give one factor priority, where do you enjoy being more? We perform our best when we are in sync with ourselves and our environment. When you follow your passion with clarity and focus everything will fall into place.

(This column appears weekly)

Sheetal’s new passion

AS one of the models of Kingfisher calendar (2008), Sheetal Menon needs no introduction. She is concentrating on her new passion — acting. She is going all out to prove to Bollywood that models can act too in Nari Hira’s film Brahm. In conversation with Life Style:

How was working with Dino?

I will always be grateful to him for putting me at ease. He is cool.

Did you have training in acting?

Yes, from Anupam Kher’s acting school. He has motivated me throughout my project.

What kind of roles you want to do?

I am comfortable with any role which is character based.

Your favourite actor.

Aamir Khan.

— Dharam Pal

Reflection of Style
Anandita Gupta

No longer just a tool for the vain, the humble mirror has indeed come a long way

WHAT’S adding shine and sparkle to your home décor? Well, it’s none but the shiny snazzy mirror. The modest accompaniment of your dressing table has emerged as the stunning accessory for your interiors! Perfect for any room, this truly beautiful piece of glass is the perfect accessory for your bar, lounge or just about any space. We cue you to the range of designer mirrors available around town.

Says Randip Dhingra of World Bazaar-Panchkula, “All it requires is a wall. A mirror doesn’t occupy valuable floor space, reflects light, makes a room appear airier and brighter than what it actually is, and also provides the illusion of greater depth.” Stocked at Dhingra’s recently opened store are assorted sun and moon mirrors. Imported from Bali these are available in as many as six-seven shapes and sizes. And yes besides serving as excellent décor enhancers mirrors are considered lucky as per Feng Shui too.


Photos by Manoj Mahajan

Another attraction at the store is the Lanna mirror frames imported from Thailand. Crafted in ancient northern Thai style, the characteristic Lanna style with its intricate use of mirrors adds luminance to the objects. “When some form of natural or artificial light falls on these mirrors, they radiate different shades,” says Dhingra, adding, “Next month, we’ll also get mirror frames from Vietnam which use Mother of Pearls as embellishments.”

 According to Poonam Sood from Malmay’s-22, careful positioning of a mirror enables you to double the effect of any item in the room, reflecting it at angles from which you wouldn’t get to appreciate it otherwise. No wonder, the lady’s one-year-old store stocks oval, round, rectangular and square mirrors imported from Thailand and Malaysia. “Ranging from Rs 1,400-8,000, our designer mirrors come with beautifully carved wooden frames with multi-coloured mirror work on them. While all these mirrors have a rustic feel to them, the classiest ones range from Rs 20,000-25,000.” And all those already raising eyebrows can avail of the store’s anniversary discount this month!

And well, when it comes to displaying this piece dé resistance, where exactly do we place it? Suggests interior designer Anu Bains. “A funky piece can be hung on its own or why not buy two or three to create a real focal point in your room? You could hang these above the bed or over the entire section of your home bar or lobby.” Suggests A.P. Singh from Wood Craft, “ But if it’s a classy mirror you are vouching for then the drawing room is the place to flaunt it.”

anandita@tribunemail.com

The Artist’s Space
Parbina Rashid

A new platform to exhibit colours of the country

Photo by Parvesh Chauhan
Photo by Parvesh Chauhan

THE city’s artscape is definitely getting bigger and brighter. After the spate of mushrooming small galleries at people’s homes and basements, we now have one more, (quite professional at that too, with proper lighting and compartmentalisation of space) right at the top of the BMW showroom in Industrial Area-I. Curators Pooja Passi and Rajiv Tipnis rightfully call the gallery Artscape.

Inaugurated on Saturday, the show does put up works of quite a few big names from Mumbai and Pune, like Sanjay Sable, Sanjay Kumar, Vijay Belgave and Sujata Acherakar, to name a few. The wall-to-wall frames, bright canvasses and different strokes that come in form of Sanjay Kumar’s Michelangelo-influenced human figures to Sable’s Marathi woman captured with a geometric foreground indeed prove to be a breather after an overdose of Bengal’s Shanti Niketan inspired water colours, courtesy local galleries.

Doing us proud is homegrown artist Madan Lal whose frames occupy a prominent position among the exhibits. The works carry his signature style with Lal exploring the man-woman relationship through symbols and calligraphy. His paintings come for a price too, ranging between Rs 2.2 and Rs 2.4 lakh, but Tipnis justifies it by calling him as one of the 50 topmost artists of the country.

Though the works come from different artists from different corners of the country, the connecting thread binding most of them is spiritualism. Right at the entrance, we find Ghanshyam Gupta’s huge frames of Buddha in meditative positions. Buddha being symbolic, the focus is more on energy and tranquility, which is achieved through vibrant colours and circular rings in acrylic. Husband-wife duo Sujata and Vijay Acherakar dwell in spiritualism, Sujata going in for figurative works while Vijay, a disciple of Rajneesh, using the colour saffron. But, in this category the work that stands out is of Gangadhar Shinde, who has used special handmade paper to bring out the right texture and 3-D form of ‘Nandi’.

But what remain etched in one’s mind are Sanjay Kumar’s classical frames. Sanjay has gone to the extent of mixing his own colours with linseed oil and vegetable dyes to get the right tone. However, it is not only his entangled figures that remain in mind, but the price tag too that reads between Rs 3.20 and Rs 3.50 lakh — the highest among the lot. But then, the true price of a painting lies in the eye of beholder, right?

Music, Masti & a Mission
Anandita Gupta

WHILE you sat glued to your TV, smiling, laughing and crying with the contestants of Sa Re Ga Ma, Indian Idol or VOI, ‘they’ didn’t just join you. Rather, ‘they’ wanted to grab that mike and share telly space with your fave contestant. So when Big 92.7 FM knocked at their radios, announcing the Sing with Sonu contest, these excited bunch of city singers leapt at the chance. Full of infectious verve, they seemed thrilled at the final auditions held on Saturday at the Government Museum and Art Gallery-10. We sneak peeked and got all musical!

Ten, nine, eight… the countdown had begun. Minutes before Sufi singer Lakhwinder Wadali arrived to judge the participants, these 40 shortlisted singers were clutching at the mike and crooning full-throated numbers. Sad Hindi songs, peppered with funny Punju numbers, reverberated in the museum’s audi.

Amidst some loud cheer, cat calls and RJ Meenakshi’s Wadde wala Hello haiga ji... we suddenly heard Gurdas Mann! “Jadon sheshe muhre beh ke der lagaon lage, Jadon nave-nave kapre paun lage, samjho, mamla ghadbad hai” (when she sits for hours before the mirror, wears new clothes, you know she’s in love!). And this wasn’t our Gurdas bhajji but Vilphin Vincent. All of 19, this third year engineering student won all hearts, “ I’m from Kerala, but I sing in Punjabi. My friend thought I should try my luck here. In fact, when I got the call for the first round of auditions on April 1 I thought it was a prank.” But no, it was for real for now Vincent has reached the final auditions.

The youngster, who’s found a rock band Dennis the Menace, had all reasons to be elated. For, out of the 40 participants present here, four were selected. These finalists will now appeal to city people to vote for them. Ultimately, it’s our janta janardan that’ll select the city’s finalist, who’ll perform with Sonu Nigam this month at various cities.

Wah Wadali!

CLEAN-SHAVEN, denim-clad, minus gold rings, he doesn’t really look like a Punjabi singer. But Sufi singer Lakhwinder Wadali is very desi at heart. He talks in a very American accent, (peppered with a lil’ bit of Punjabi) no doubt, but Wadali has his roots firmly tugging at his heartstrings, “I’m a true blue Punjabi and very proud to belong to the Patiala musical gharana. My greatest inspiration has of course been my father Puran Chand Wadali. It was from him that I imbibed a passion for Sufi.” And what about folk? “Folk is to Sufi what blood is to flesh. You can’t tell them apart,” he smiles, as he gears up to judge the contestants of the Sing with Sonu contest.

“In our times, one had to start right from the scratch and slog for years before making it big. But today, fresh talent is being searched for and promoted by such contests.” But isn’t our country witnessing an excess of singing reality shows? “Of course not. Rather, talented singers are getting a great platform to perform. Moreover, these shows ensure them a groomed personality, hefty prize money and media limelight. I wish I was as lucky as these youngsters to do my first performance with Sonu ji,” he signs off.

Matka Chowk
Straight street talk
Sreedhara Bhasin

CHANDIGARH street kids are getting sharper. They are getting good at verbal harangue. Somehow, I try to see the spirit that lurks behind the banter and the mean talk. After all, it takes grit to attack the windshield with a dirty rag in mid-traffic or follow adults who are making strange ‘shoo-away’ sounds while walking away from outstretched hands.

I have talked to tea-boys who walk around with big aluminum kettles in their small hands. I once asked one of them if he’ll like to attend school. He looked at me disdainfully and said: "Main kaam karta hoon. Main padhai kyun karun? Aap yeh naukri chhodke padhai karoge?"

Recently, I was told off a young lad who was peddling used books at a traffic jam in one of the chowks. I was in a fancy car that belongs to the tourism department. The boy was holding a number of interesting books – obviously old – in shiny wrappers. Drawn to the paperbacks, I inquired about the prices. When he told me a high sum, I equalised it by bargaining . I wasn’t even sure that I wanted the book. He haggled for a while but I held on to my little amount. When it looked like the lights were about to turn green I slid up the window. But, he knocked urgently. I lowered the window, expecting to have hit the jackpot. Instead, he said "Madam, itni badi motor mein ghoomte ho aur itna sasta daam lagate ho. Kuch to sharam karo!" At that I burst out laughing. The driver shook his head and said "Yeh ladke bahut badtameez hain." I disagreed and said, "Nahin, tez hain."

At that the driver narrated another episode. He was driving a foreign gentleman the other day in a thickly crowded area. A young urchin almost collided with the car. When the driver glared, he knocked on his window and said: "Itni chamchagiri bhi theek nahin." The driver didn’t find it amusing. I did.

The other day another young boy walked up to me and muttered about the blessings of Shani Devta. When I told him: "Jao yahan se," he asked: " Kisko jane ke liye keh rahe ho? Mujhe ya bhagwan ko?" At that, I accepted defeat.

(This column appears weekly)

Health Tip

Achilles tendonitis is a painful injury experienced 2- 6 cm above the insertion of the tendon into the heel bone, in the morning or after exercise. Achilles tendon is the strongest tendon in the human body that connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. Overuse or training too much too soon especially on the hard surfaces or up hills, wearing ill-fitted shoes and frequent changing between high heels and flat shoes can cause this condition.

Treatment: Rest the affected foot and avoid weight-bearing activities. Ultrasound

followed by deep friction massage decreases pain. Wearing a heel pad takes off some of the strain on Achilles Tendonitis.

Exercises: Heel walks, heel drop and calf raise, one-leg knee bends and calf stretch involving standing with both hands on the wall, placing one leg in front of

the other, bending the front leg without raising the heel of the back leg is helpful.

.— Dr Ravinder Chadha





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