What’s shading your eyes? Tinsel Town inspires
city’s eye-candy like never before!
Shades of Style
Purva Grover

Anybody who wants to make it to Page 3, read on. There is one basic rule to make it to the glossy sheets. Clubbing, partying, or hosting a charity event — sport designer shades. (Replicas too do the trick at time!) And god forbid, if you commit the fashion sin and are spotted without them, then be prepared to be dethroned from the celeb spot soon. Now, how we arrived at this rule is, one, courtesy Madhur Bhandekar’s Page 3, and two, our dedicated flipping (for professional and personal interests) of filmi magazines, local supplements and more.

From Christian Dior to Gucci to Giorgio Armani to the all-time favourite Ray Ban, from big bold to small sober, from gold trimmings to embedded crystals, from rimless to thick frames, from polarized to photo chromic, our Bollywood celebs have done it all. And it goes without saying, that many of us, fashion imitators, have time and again been inspired (not copy!) by them. From silver mirrored lenses sported by Kajol in Baazigar to Anil Kapoor’s pair in Welcome that open from the center, lets explore the very many shades of the tinsel town.

Foremost let’s talk of the current most popular pair that screams loud and clear ‘Look at me’. If you were to ask us who is sporting these big bold retro sunglasses, then we’ll rather question you back — who is not wearing them? From Preity Zinta to Gauri Khan to Katrina Kaif to Suzzane Khan to you, your cousin, your neighbour, these glasses are getting big with each passing day. The style attributed to the times of Babita and Sadhna of 1970s suggest that it’s not your face but your shades that need to stand apart. So, get yourself a big one, now! Need more motivation, watch the latest flick Race.

It would really be unfair to talk of retro and forget Zeenat Aman in Hare Rama Hare Krishna. Recall her crooning Dum maro dum in amber glasses? That really did send the style charts shooting up. Soon undertones like rose-brown, demi-amber, plum, magenta, yellow, and smoke made it to our wardrobes. Over the years they emerged and re-emerged. Recall the longhaired Barsaat boy sporting blue shades and singing Humko sirf tumse pyaar hai! Now, Bobby Deol ‘s debut flick may have doomed at the BO, but it did make the blue pair a rage. And for all those who don’t subscribe to Filmfare, here’s some juicy gossip. Bobby has had an obsession for sunglasses since childhood. He has around 400 of them and, says he loves to collect them, even though he might not wear them all. And guess who is giving him competition? Well, our new-age suave villain Arjun Rampal has already stocked some 80 pairs or so.

Talk aviators and there we see you losing your head and heart both to Tom Cruise in Top Gun. So, we’ll instead talk of apna Mumbai solely. For starters, aviators were developed by Ray Ban way back in 1937. Recently, we saw Esha Deol spiced up her look in Cash with a savvy pair of aviators. So, who else has aviators hooked behind their ears? Almost everybody — Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgan, John Abrahim, Sanjay Dutt, Jimmy Shergill and the list goes on and on. Oops, and add to it Akki in Tashan. The stuntman turned funnyman is sporting them right throughout the film. Oh so gorgeous Kareena too has aviators hooked behind her ears in Tashan.

Din ho ya raat, you just can’t miss this powerhouse voice! Cool Punjabi puttar, the Taare gin gin yaad main teri, main ta jaaga raatanu guy, Sukhbir is our ambassador for aviators, strictly black. (Do we need to say that). Irrespective of what time of the day it is, he sports black glasses. Wondering why? Well, he and his glasses go back to the times when he shot for his first video. If filmy gupshup is to be believed then he sported them for the first time to keep the staring eyes of the unit at bay and later made it a part of his attire, ‘coz it made him look cool. Oh la la … guess what? Not many recognise him without them!

If you are a couch potato and yes, watch reality shows religiously, then you can for sure guess, who is our next celebrity. Rings, bracelets, gold watch, an accented voice, and trademark sunglasses — Bappida is a fashion icon on his own and is there everywhere on telly! The bejeweled guy has a huge collection of shades to match up with his garish outfits. Last, there’s indeed no better way to impress a gal than an attitude-loaded pair of sunglasses. Remember, 64-year-old Buddhadev Gupta of Cheenikum sporting a classy pair of Gucci. The grouchy upright chef, aka Big B, did cast a spell on not just Nina, aka Tabu, but us fans (old and young) too!

Well, well, from aviators to cat eyes, there is a style for everyone. So, what are you waiting for? Get yourself a pair now, and join the list of style glossies. And oops! In case we forget to mention, these sunglasses were invented to provide protection to your eye and not merely act as head turners.

purva@tribunemail.com

Bold & Beautiful
Anandita Gupta

The heat is on. The sun’s already snorting and puffing, gearing up to shoot fireballs left and right. Time for us to think about eye and skin protection, right? Of course yes, and especially when ‘protection’ comes laced in sheer style, who’ll mind? So get going and turn up the heat by indulging in some stunning eyewear available in town. We turn on the flashlights on the framed sunnies that city’s fash-pack’s flaunting, in favour of the classic aviators.

Need we say that eyewear this season is an absolute eye-candy? Big, bold and beautiful, shades this time are all about big glasses, gogo styles (think 60s) and frames sprinkled with Swarovski crystals! The highlight, however, remains plastic frames that are ultra chic, playful and brimming with colour. Informs Sangeeta Kataria of Gem Opticians, who was recently in town for an exhibition, “While the oversized glasses have been a big draw the last few seasons, the plastic frames are soaring high on the stylometer this summer.”

Available at local fashion stores and accessory hubs in colours like burgundy, pink, mauve, blue and bleach-white, besides the regular black and brown, these framed shades can be picked for anything between Rs 450 to Rs 1,000. No wonder, the collection combines functionality with fun, your sunglasses being a fashion accessory that you can coordinate with your dress!

Glasses wise, the bigger (can’t get over Jackie O!), the better. Oversized glasses in rectangular, square and circular shapes (the classic 8 shape) with gradient lenses are the in thing. “In women’s eyewear, Swarovsky still finds favour with brands like Bvlgari, Chopard, Versace, while others are more inclined towards gold-coloured frames and rims,” says Kataria, who’s planning to set shop in town. For men, ‘cover-your-face’ sunglasses along with lightweight metal frames and Ray Ban aviators remain hot. The young can grab brighter, funkier shades while the not-so-young can stick to gold-rimmed ones in brownish tints. Absolutely black shades are a big no no.”

So, what decides the kind of sunglasses one should pick for oneself? Suggests Gurpreet Singh of Weldon Opticians-17, “Oval faces should try rectangular or square frames as oval frames will make their faces look too round. People with sharp jawlines can flaunt roundish frames and chubby faces look good in glasses with geometrical or sharp cuts.

As far as the lenses go, Veenu Bhargava of Big Ben Optical Company, Sector 17-C, fills us in with the latest trends. Hazel, gray and blue coloured lenses are a rage. Ideally, lens colour should be according to ones skin tone and eye colour. While hazel looks good on whitish complexions, blue and gray suit extremely fair faces. Other popular colours are brown, honey and green. You can get these in Johnson & Johnson or Bausch & Lomb, starting at Rs 900 onwards.”

Finally, succumb to the sizzling style of fashionable eyewear, but also keep other factors in mind while picking your pair. Go in for branded shades for good quality glasses. You could vouch for brands like Ray Ban, Killer Loop, Vogue, Versace, Gucci, Chopard, Esprit and Tommy Hilfiger (Rs 1,000-20,000). Cautions eye specialist Dr Arvind Sharma, Fortis, “The cheaper sunglasses may be readily available for as less as Rs 400, but they can cost you your eyes. So always go in for good brands and lighter tinted glasses when it comes to eyewear.”

anandita@tribunemail.com

Love them or hate them, but it is difficult to ignore this
new breed of Page 3 journos
Fodder for Gossip
Anandita Gupta

Dig this. You actually spend 70 per cent of your tele-viewing hours criticising them, 80 per cent of your reading sessions hurling venomous curses at them and yup , 90 per cent of your verbal brainstorming sessions, cooking up apt abuses for them. And yet, you spend 100 per cent of your waking hours – breathing, eating and living with ‘them’. For, brickbats or bouquets, there’s no way they let you turn your backs to them.

Replacing your ‘food for thought’ with ‘fodder for gossip’, these are the ‘journos gone to the Page-3 (as bad as dogs, or perhaps, worse!) – the paparazzi. The breed of writers, reporters, shutterbugs (that bug!), whose sole motto is to chase celebs till ‘death do us part’ (literally in Lady Diana’s case). Armed with their cameras and mikes, they stampede in front of star-weddings and pujas, camp outside star bunglaws, chase cars at high speed to see where their ‘victims’ are headed (subjecting ‘them’ to soul-piercing scrutiny!). And well, fabricate the most malicious and juiciest of eggs from love-struck star birdies’ nests, throw in unlimited spices, rustle up the rumour-golden omlette and serve it piping hot, along with a sizzling, sting comment’s tadka.

And though, we are all found expressing our displeasure at this species’ activities, are we actually doing something to stop them? Or are we gradually giving in to the addiction for Page-3, relishing frivolous news and flounce-wrapped language (minus any readable content)? We chat up a few local youngsters to find out:

Chips in Vishal Sharma, 2nd year student, Department of Mass Communication, PU, “Blame it on the profusion of TV news and entertainment channels, but Ekta Kapoor can actually take a cue from the media today. For, isn’t media’s intrusion into the private lives of stars churning out fodder, akin to our soap operas?” he laughs, adding,

“Though paparazzi’s earned quite a bad name recently, the fact remains that most of us enjoy savoring Page 3 stuff. Don’t Bollywood news and celebrity chat shows enjoy high TRP’s because most youngsters love watching them?”

Agrees his classmate Amit Sharma, “Today’s the age of infotainment. Personally, I love Pooja Bedi’s talk show and Popkorn News on Zoom. While scanning morning papers, I grab the lifestyle supplements first and catch up the hard news later.” Vishal nods smilingly, telling us how he likes to go through feature supplements first and the news later.

Diksha Sethi, radio-jockey with Big FM, takes the argument further, “Though, I like to watch Cinema Sensex, Popkorn News and style shows on Zoom and Channel V, one can’t survive just on them. So, when one sees Rakhi Sawant or Aishwaria observing fast, or Amir Khan going bald, being flashed on a news channel 24x7, it’s irksome. If the paparazzi are asked to switch roles with people they run after, they’ll come face to face with reality.

Social activist Geetanjali Gill, however, presents a different viewpoint, “Of course, most of these stars enjoy the flashlights to the hilt. No wonder, we had Big B ‘stooping of sorts,’ apologising before the media for his failing to handle them ‘with care’ at Abhi’s shaadi, Ash putting on her 1000-watt smile at Cannes while singing peons in the praise of being a Bachchan-bahu and Kareena clinging to Saif like a drowning man clinging to some rope, as they walk into parties,” she laughs.

And we agree, thinking about our Bazigar gal finally winning the Big Brother’s baazi (and boyfriend Raj Kundra at last!). While the woman cried hoarse on how she’d been racially harassed, her hair remained all glossy and swishy, every strand perfectly in place.

Reasons student Harshita Dhawan, “The private lives of stars are open to public scrutiny. But there’s a limit to intrusion.As people, we do have interest in the lives of public figures. Say, I like knowing that Ash has married Abhishek. But I’ll never want to be filled in with the details of their married lives on an hourly basis!

Laments Dr Rita Kalra-Panchkula, “Even the language is getting corrupted, thanks to Page 3 journalism. Something cool is thanda affair, boring is thakela and hello’s helloww .By exposing our kids to such news, we are corrupting their values and language. And yes, we are lapping up such programmes and news, which gives them high TRP’s and a public sanction to be telecast.”

So, along with these media channels, it’s the readers and viewers, also responsible for the shooting popularity of paparazzi fodder.

Gaga over gloss
A peek-a-boo at the frivolous affairs that launched many TV programmes and spawned thousands of print media stories.

Bebo’s sweet obsession with size zero and declaration about working on it.

Saif showing his Karan, not Kareena, tattoo at Stardust Awards.

Recently, a Mumbai tabloid’s splashed a front-page story on the split between Arbaaz and Malaika Arora Khan. The very next day saw the couple admitting that the story was planted to coincide with a product launch.

Bollywood’s who’s-who at various fashion weeks in partying and air-kissing mode.

Celina Jaitley hitting the headlines about being stalked by a pro from a production house.

Sisters Namrata and Priya choosing to stay away from Sanju baba’s wedding.

A bald (not so beautiful) Aamir Khan, being flashed across all Hindi news channels non-stop.

Sisters Namrata and Priya choosing to stay away from Sanju baba’s wedding.

Kajal Aijaz on multiplexes, entertainment business
& city’s movie buffs
Picture abhi baki hai!
Anandita Gupta

She hated using the brain’s left side. Being straight-jacketed was boring to her. What rather charged her batteries was an adrenaline rush accompanied by brainstorming, meeting people, and monitoring her company’s growth graph. That explains why Kajal Aijaz, CEO, DT Cinemas, choose to be on DLF’s luxury-retail panel. Neck-deep in the entertainment retail services for the last 12 years, we get the pretty lady talking about hi-fi multiplexes, her career choice, and more.

Dressed in peach-pink sari (that quite matches her complexion), Kajal Aijaz chitchats with us, post-announcing the arrival of DT Cinemas in town. Her unconventional career choice kickstarts the conversation, “A decade back, the option of entertainment-retail was scoffed upon as a career for women. When I turned down a lucrative offer to join PVR Cinemas, it was a big issue. But it seemed the right choice for a right-brain person like me,” she laughs, adding, “I wanted to do exciting creative things and entertainment-retail fitted the bill. And look how the industry’s grown over the years,” smiles the lady, who’s pursued a cinemas and luxury retail course from Australia.

Multiplexes are big now, but what about the future? Won’t there be problem of excess? “Our young population is earning well and is willing to splurge on entertainment. So, multiplexes are here to stay. In fact, we’ll be coming up with 500 screens across the country in the next three years, spending Rs 3.5 crore on each screen.” And what about the special focus on Chandigarh? “The city’s top-line cinema revenue figures are fantastic. Moreover, it has quite a large segment of students and young professionals,” confirms Kajal.

Any fancy promotional strategies in the pipeline? “Of course, we’ll have premieres with celebs, theme parties and lots more. In fact, we are associated with SRK in a big way and may invite him soon.” But all those already swooning, will have to wait. “For now, we aren’t bringing any celebs as we want people to enjoy just the cinema’s state-of-art experience,” Aijaz signs off.

More than a flick

DLF brings DT Cinemas in DLF Infocity at the Rajiv Gandhi Technology Park. The multiplex has three screens, capacity of 786 seats,a Christie cinema projection system, excellent acoustics, extra legroom, comfortable slide back seating and pushback armrests.

Informed DLF VP marketing Rajat Kumar, “ At Chandigarh, initially, we are offering Rs 70, 115 and 200 price slots (seat-wise) for the tickets. Later, we’ll get into fluid pricing, depending on the film-reviewing day and timings.”

Spiritual Voyage
Purva Grover

Pay homage at the Golden Temple, listen to melodiously soothing bhajans, read up about spiritual gurus, learn meditation, or interact with other spiritual seekers. Enrich yourself with all this and more in the comfort of your home by logging on to www.spirtualtube.com. Launched last week by a city-based IT company, Technology Guru, the portal promises to quench the spiritual thirst of millions.

Says Dhruv Pandey, the man behind the venture, “We seek to offer a complete and much-needed spiritual touch to the modern lifestyle.” Dhruv is also the chairman of Technology Guru. So what motivated him to create the portal? “I felt the need to offer some positivity to the world.” Lousy, irrelevant and crazy videos uploaded on various sites annoyed him. “Where is the world heading to? What are we watching?” he would question himself till he found a solution in www.spirtualtube.com.

After six months of research and hardwork, the site with its tagline — ‘Paradise of super consciousness,’ was ready. So, what all does it offer? “It is basically a platform for uploading and sharing spiritual videos,” informs Dhruv. With over 2,000 videos uploaded already, you can log in for Hanuman Chalisa, Aarti, hymns, religious guru’s sermon, and more. You can even watch or record the spiritual exercises performed by spiritual masters.

It’s also a complete data bank of pilgrimage places all over the world. “We’ve laid stress on Indian places to promote both spirituality and tourism,” informs Dhruv. So the over 200-pages take you to Varansi, Ayodhya, Puri, Anandpur Sahib, besides Europe, Middle-East and Asia, of course. For those who want to update their knowledge, click on the spiritual treasure icon, and read up about religious personalities like Mira, Surdas, Kabir and Osho to name a few.

What’s more, you can chat up, create groups or blog here too. So, those of you, who wish to reconnect with the spiritual roots, log in now.

A peep into tales of the past...
The Entertainment Box
Parbina Rashid

Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan

This is not a story that’ll excite younglings accustomed to the multiplex culture. But broach the subject of bioscope to gen-past, and they immediately travel back in time. Dreamy look and passion-laced voice, some even begun to hum Rail gadi rail gadi, a song picturised on Ashok Kumar who played a bioscopewala in Ashirwad. This role even got him a national award or for that matter Mumtaz’s unforgettable performance in the song Aiye main bioscopewali (Dushman).

So what is it that brings this extinct art form back into conversation? Well, it’s Jagdish and his 45-year-old khandani bioscope, one of the few existing ones. Jagdish from Delhi is here as a participant in Intach Crafts Mela. And there at the mela we also meet known faces like artist Neenu Vij and columnist Seema Bhalla, taking a trip down the memory lane by peeping into the entertainment box.

“This is one form of entertainment we grew up with,” says Vij, inviting us to experience her excitement. “Though theatres were there and TV too had made its entry, yet it was watching the bioscope at grandma’s place during summer vacations that remained the most fascinating. Looking at it now, I feel young again,” she smiles.

Famous photographer Diwan Manna goes a step ahead, “I would like to buy a bioscope, if I find one.” The reason, of course, he wants to preserve his childhood memories. “During my younger days at Bareta it was the infrequent visits of bioscopewalas that was our source of entertainment. We saw it all — Agra ka Taj Mahal, Baraman ki Dhoban, Sikh Gurus, Bollywood stars and more. In fact, they used to sing the background song themselves. Just like Ashok Kumar and Mumtaz,” he reminisces. Diwan’s childhood obsession found a prominent place in his profession, when he did a series on melas and captured them along with other features.

Nostalgia runs high without a doubt, but is it helping the bioscope owners? We get a reality check from Jagdish, “There are only four or five of us left in Delhi. We travel from place to place taking part in such melas.” And no, no villagers are interested in watching a bioscope for Rs 10 per head. But people sometimes do invite them for a show in weddings. It too has become a novelty like the hookahs and paan daans.

Jagdish’s bioscope, which originally came from Kolkata, is interesting to look at. A complicated looking box with five peep holes, it allows five viewers to watch a show simultaneously. He moves the slides manually with a handle atop the box and viewers have to kneel down to watch the slides. Along with this comes the background music and a scene-by-scene running commentary.

Now, a bioscope might have nothing much to offer in terms of subject matter or visuals, that will keep you glued to the box for long. But it sure is priceless, when it comes to experience.

parbina@tribunemail.com

A mobile may be just another gadget, but in right hands,
it’s a medium of expression
Cells of Creativity
Parbina Rashid

Not so long ago, three French performers opened their act at the Tagore Theatre with words that still ring in my mind — “Please switch off your mobiles. Maybe someday, people will make music with their mobiles, but today, enjoy our music without the distraction this gadget might cause.”

Little did the artistes know that the day would come so soon. Maybe not in the field of music yet, but making movies with mobiles has certainly become an accepted trend now. One does not even have to look far for evidence. Wasn’t it only recently that the Mass Communication Department of Panjab University organised a fest called Soch-2008, where a contest of mobile films was the highlight?

And now, the city has an institute Frameboxx that is not just teaching the students to shoot a film with a mobile but also widening their creative horizons by organising an annual contest called Frameflixx. In this contest, short films of three to five minutes duration, shot with the humble mobile camera, will be presented. “This is to encourage people who don’t own a handicam or video camera to learn the art of filmmaking,” says Sachin Bhatnagar, vice-president of New Media, Frameboxx.

A mobile may not be a substitute for a digital camera, but it is easy to carry and is pocket friendly enough to promote filmmaking among the younger lot. Aren’t we are better informed these days because of the news footage captured by many an amateur photographers with their mobiles?

And for those not lucky enough to be at the right place in the right time to capture news or the ones who aren’t the students of Mass Communication or Frameboxx, there are other options. Like this site called filmaka.in that is managed by an international group of producers, actors and directors to encourage mobile talent. If one is lucky enough, one can even win a cash prize. For the rest, who like to create for the sake of creativity without getting into the complications of entering a contest, there is youtube.com for displaying video clips.

So do not frown if you catch your child fiddling with your mobile. He maybe a Kabir Singh in the making, Neelam Mansingh’s son, who just won an internship under Anurag Kashyap by winning a contest organised by the group Passion for Cinema with his one-minute film Dolly.

Nirmal Pandey’s take on films, theatre, music & visual art...
Artfully connected
Parbina Rashid

He can do magic, literally. This ‘evil’ Senapati Bhujang of Raajkumar Aaryyan casts his spell the moment the telephonic connection begins, steering the conversation flawlessly through topics like films, to poetry to painting to the country’s socio-political scenario. Our first impression is that Nirmal Pandey loves to have his fingers in many pies. Well, not really. “It’s all connected actually. As a theatre artiste, I developed visual aesthetics, which culminated into taking up painting. The same way, I started writing poetry and singing, too.” It may read like bragging, but he balances out the statement with logic. “Many actors are good singers but when one aspect of his or her personality gets focused, others take a back seat.”

But not when Nirmal is concerned. He has two music albums to his credit and has painted enough frames, fit for an exhibition. “What do you paint?,” we are curious. “Different moods of nature and cities and yes, my taste runs towards the abstract. You cannot paint life as it is,” he explains. And the topic opens up issues like terrorism, farmers’ suicides and trends in big cities. “I travel a lot, especially to far-flung areas, to understand people’s needs. I travel abroad and that gives me the perspective to see how unhappy we Indians are. Many areas are deprived of basic amenities while in the metros, humanity in on the wane. Even if you are bleeding on the road, no one would come near you because of administrative regulations,” says this Nainital-born man.

This is what spurred Nirmal to make a film on the Naxalite movement. “The film will be in the genre of Bandit Queen, rustic but hard hitting.” On stage, it is the success of Andha Yog he is trying to replicate, this time with Prem Chand’s Ram Lila. “I am also reading Saadat Hasan Manto’s works and have recently come across a story called Mozail which I would like to make into a short film.” Watch out for Nirmal in Lahore and Vikalp.

Clay Craft

We see them on display at almost every expo. But, looking at artisans creating terra-cotta artifacts is a different experience altogether. The venue is Kalagram and the ongoing workshop has brought with it specialties from four different corners of the country — Bhuj, Azamgarh, Bastar and Pukhran. This is the third workshop on terra-cotta pottery and the final creative pieces will be a part of a gallery, which will soon be added to Kalagram.

Ibrahim and his wife Sarah with their potteries and the enthusiasm to teach one the art, grab one’s attention at the entrance. “We use local mitti to create the base,” says Ibrahim. Sarah demonstrates the process of making dye using the locally available black, white and red stone. Later, she uses it to make patterns on plates and flowerpots and animal figures. Sohan Lal and his team from Azamgarh are inclined towards glazed pottery that ranges from deities to soap cases. “We use earth colours and a special dye made of mango leaves, bamboo, and a few other ingredients, mixed with soda.”

Narendra Chakradhari lends innovation to the traditional Bastar art. So, his horse figures come in amalgamation with an elephant figure. Even elephants come out not as individual pieces, but in groups. “After all, elephants move in groups,” he says. Luna Ram from Pukhran is churning out more of functional potteries like surahis and parags. “Our specialty is painting which is ingrained at the time making the base,” he says. — TNS

Creative Zone
War of words

As a lawyer, Sukhcharan Kaur Bhatia, has seen enough misery in life. But now, she has chosen a different tool to fight it — verse. She writes poetry on relationships, generates awareness on female foeticide, and speaks against the practice of dowry.

So what made a lawyer resort to poetry, to fight against social maladies? “As senior advocate general of Punjab, I was too busy fighting state cases. It was the large number of divorce cases and atrocities on women that made me feel helpless and found way in poetry,” she says. However, the seeds of the poet had always been there. Sukhcharan started writing religious poems on Guru Arjun Dev, Guru Gobind Singh and Guru Nanak Dev when she was only 15. “I used to write poems and read it out in Gurdwaras,” she says.

Now, her source of inspiration is a little different, but the religious overtone is still present. Like, in her recent piece on daughters-in-law titled Meri Nuh Rani, where she appeals mothers-in-law to be kind to the daughters-in-law who come from different backgrounds. At the same time, she also asks the girl to make adjustments in her new home. She has a sound advice for husbands too. “I don’t want homes breaking down, the way it is happening today. In our days we were not even aware of the word compatibility.”

Sukhcharan also has several books and articles on law to her credit, The Jurisprudence of the Amending Process, The Narcotic Drugs Act, Hang or Not to Hang, Veto Power of the President, to name a few. — TNS

(This column appears fortnightly)

Youth Speak
Is it really cricket?
Vikrant Kumar

Gone are the days of traditional cricket. Indian Premier League (IPL) is the new name for the game. Cricket, once known only for test and one-day matches, come in the Twenty20 version. I feel IPL is good thing because these days who has the time to watch a test cricket or a day-long match?

This twenty20 match takes only four hours. It’s like watching a film. But, it is not a long-run game. IPL is only a source of entertainment, all about scoring sixes and fours. IPL is a stage where all cricket-playing nations come together and selected players play for their respective team. It is also a platform for legendary cricketers, Bollywood stars and politicians to come together. IPL is known as money game as so many business tycoons are attached with IPL and they are ready to earn money and fame through cricket.

Players are selected through bidding. It has become more of a moneymaking venture. Last week a player commented, “I want to give better education to my son. For that, I have to earn money which only IPL can provide.” A sad affair! So, I make an appeal to all cricketers to play for cricket’s sake and not only to earn money. If the days of traditional cricket is over, nobody will enjoy cricket as a game. I feel while IPL should be organised once in a while, priority should be given to test and one-day matches.

High on life

New mum Jennifer Lopez is set to co-produce and star in a reality show, showcasing her personal life as a singer, actress and motherhood. Lopez will produce, co-create and star in the docu-series, on how she adjusts her career with motherhood, including launching a new fragrance.

“I’m looking forward to sharing this exciting journey together,” she was quoted as saying. The new television series will be aired on TLC cable channel. The series is under production. “Jennifer is unbelievably passionate about life and will be an incredible role model for our audience,” said TLC president, Angela Shapiro-Mathes.

From Rap to films

Rapper Jay-Z wants to retire from music and get into the movie business. The rapper wants to give up music for good after making a few more albums. He says: “I want to get into the movie business. I love films and that’s why I feel I would do a good job.”

Jay-Z in the past had retired from rap only to come back and is leaving fans and critics uncertain of his next moves. He added: “My recording contract runs out after two more albums. Who knows what I will do after that.” — Agencies

Sidelanes
Monkeying Around
Joyshri Lobo

Generally, couples attend social functions together. If the Man of the House is tied up, the Lady of the House breathes a resigned sigh and settles down to a film or book accompanied by samosas and sweets from Gobind, Nanak or Sindhi. As the MOTH gets leaner and meaner, the LOTH gains a perfect skin, layers of cuddly lard and hours of comforting sleep. Or she can enjoy all womens’ get-togethers. My third one this year, and the first at Manjit’s third floor, Sector 16 flat, turned out to be an enlightening affair.

Usually, one would expect gossip and wary “lets- see- if- I- am-threatened by- you” behaviour. However, as every woman present was highly educated and still working, many interesting topics came up, none of which were limited to servants, children, in-laws, clothes, jewellery or recipes. In fact, the party ended on a spirited note when some of us promised to meet at two popular eating joints for the “Ladies Happy Hour” when drinks are absolutely free. We plan to take our respective spouses as escorts, and to foot the food and their own liquor bills!

Saroj, by marrying someone from the Merchant Navy, has a lot of time on her hands. This is utilised by pursuing a full-time career and looking after a terrace garden that includes many exotic bonsais.  Both of us talk to our plants. I have a four-month-old cocker spaniel that chews on thirty-year-old bonsai branches. Saroj has a different problem. A troop of resident monkeys decided to raid her garden. The troop elders decided that bonsai branches were excellent training grounds for the babies. They also discovered there was no MOTH around. Saroj was aghast when she returned from work to find broken branches and chewed leaves.

Heartbroken, Saroj called the langoor man. But he is available for a short period. The troop visited when the langoor did not. Saroj used her imagination and put up a green net over her beloved treasures. The babies learnt bungee jumping and tore it to shreds. Saroj asked a horticulturist for ideas. He suggested water hosing — so reminiscent of policing on the Delhi streets! It seemed to have no effect on the nimble animals. In fact, they seemed to enjoy the free shower sessions. The toyshop saw a bedraggled, wet lady asking for the biggest Chinese rifle with plastic bullets. When the troop found these bouncing off their thick pelts, they sniggered and bared their fangs in Saroj’s face. At her wits end, the LOTH surfed Google and went to a company that installs security systems. They rigged alternate wires that give a mild shock of 110 volts. 120 volts can kill. It was Saroj’s kindness that did not allow any one from the troop to be hurt. The first heartrending screams of electrocuted monkeys melted Saroj’s heart. But as she contemplated her next move, she saw the leaders of the pack examining and then tentatively touching the wires. Soon, through telepathy, eye contact and simian words, they informed the babies and teenagers how they could go past the non-electrified wires.

Today, as she watches from the window, the troop visits her garden regularly. Saroj has shifted her focus from the plants to monkey behaviour and psychology. They seem a far more enlightened group than their larger cousins!

(This column appears weekly)

New releases
Tashan

Starring: Anil Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Sanjay Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Yashpal Sharma
Director: Vijay Krishna Acharya

Sirf

Starring: Kay Kay Menon, Manisha Koirala, Ranvir Shorey, Sonali Kulkarni,
Pravin Dabas
Director: Rajaatsh Nayar

The lifestyle of metropolitan cities seems to be getting major foothold in tinsel town as another multifaceted and multistarrer social drama, Sirf - life looks greener on the other side. The film takes an insight into the lives of four couples. They belong to different social and financial strata and every one has got its own problems to deal with. What one couple has, the other doesn’t.

Each couple looks at the other couple and wishes that if only they had what the other couple does, their life would be a bed of roses, be it on a monetary level or on moral terms. What seems to be a major and almost insoluble problem for the first couple is just a petty issue for the second.

Similarly, the second couple’s serious problem is not looked upon as a problem at all by the first and likewise so, with the other two couples. In a pursuit to achieve what they lack and in a desperate search of that one thing that would solve all their problems, they find themselves lost in the ever-moving crowd, where no one has time for themselves, leave aside the cares of the world. In due course of time, all four couples come together with a distant vision of that one event which would end all their problems and set them free. Is it reality or just a figment of their vivid imagination?

Showing at: DT Cinemas

The Jane Austen Book Club

Starring: Maria Bello, Emily Blunt, Kathy Baker, Amy Brenneman, Maggie Grace
Director: Robin Swicord

Juno

Starring: Ellen Page, Michael Cera,
Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman
Director: Jason Reitman

A tale told over four seasons, starting in autumn when Juno (Page), a 16-year-old high-school junior in Minnesota, discovers she’s pregnant from her best friend, Bleeker (Cera). In the waiting room of an abortion clinic, the quirky and whip-sharp Juno decides to give birth and to place the child with an adoptive couple.

She finds one in the Pennysaver personals, contacts them, tells her dad and stepmother, and carries on with school. The chosen parents, upscale yuppies (one of whom is cool and laid back, the other meticulous and uptight), meet Juno, sign papers, and the year unfolds. Will Juno’s plan work, can she improvise, and what about Bleeker?

Showing at: DT Cinemas

Health Tip
Dr Ravinder Chadha

Breathing is vital for supplying oxygen to our body. Our brain needs a constant supply of oxygen-rich blood for clear thinking, muscles need it for vitality and digestive system needs it to utilize food and to get rid of wastes. But our breathing is either too quick or too shallow. Consequently, oxygen becomes deficient in our body, affecting our immune system and causing diseases. Breathing slowly and deeply through nose prevents impurities from entering the body.

Exercises: In diaphragm breathing, lie down with a knee bent. Place one hand on the abdomen and the other hand on upper chest.  Inhale through nose by moving your stomach out and exhale through lips with stomach moving inside. In pursed lip breathing, sit with back relaxed, breathe in through nose and breathe out through the lips. Try deep breathing by holding a towel round ribs.