It feels great to be a part of the show that features best singers. It gave me an opportunity to connect with my fans again and to prove that I am a versatile singer. Nevertheless, I still feel those goose bumps thinking about the grand finale.

• Who is your competitor: Rahul or Harshit?

Both of them have different qualities. Harshit, is focused and experiments more with his singing while Rahul is high on confidence and gives his 100 percent every time. Both are equally competitive.

• Your take on public voting.

It is difficult to expect a predictable result in a format like this. But, you have to respect the audiences’ decision. I feel it motivates us to polish our performance and give our best.

• Farah Khan and Shekhar have already declared you winner. Do you feel the pressure building?

It feels good to be complimented. I can’t afford to loose ground, after all I am competiting with good singers. Yes, the pressure to perform well is there, like always.

• How does it feel to be a part of the industry?

This is a golden period in for the industry. A singer has to be multi talented to carve a niche. At the same time, I think it’s flexible now and has work for everyone.

• Projects in the pipeline?

I make my acting debut with Lottery, a suspense thriller. I will also produce a Marathi movie and last but not the least, I am working on my next album.

It has been great. I’ve reached the finale of the show and now it’s the deciding time. The final contestants are busy with last minute preparations, getting their clothes done, selecting songs. We are anxiously awaiting the D -day.

• Amidst all the pressure, how do you still manage to perform well?

All the contestants need a pat on their back for this. You cannot imagine how it is to perform with audiences and judges expecting a spell binding performance and with all the competition around. At the same time, I guess we are handling it pretty well.

• Do you feel threatened by Abhijit and Harshit.

Not really. Both singers are good, they have put in their best just like me. I would only feel threatened by a singer who can beat me.

• Despite the hard work that you put in, it is the audience who gets to decide who wins. Unfair?

To some extent yes, but then janta is great. If the public wants it can make a raja out of none. I respect their decision and I am sure they will make a good choice.

• All this fan following, does it require a conscious effort to remain grounded?

First, I would rather like to call my fans as well wishers. Today, whatever I am is because of them and I have no qualms in admitting this.

• What next?

You’ll see me rock with my second album Mairey Maula, which will be a delight for the audiences. It has music of all genres of music, folk, sufi, Bhojpuri, Hindi. 

It’s been good so far. I have achieved a level by competing with the best talent and by making it to the finals. Ab to bas jeetney ka junoon hai.

• Do you feel threatened by Rahul or Abhijit?

Both are very talented singers. But I find competing with Abhijeet challenging. I consider him a better singer, not to forget, he was India’s first Indian idol and has huge fan following too.

• Audiences deciding your fate. Are you okay with it?

Audiences’ verdict is the last verdict. Janta has to like you as performer. If they don’t like you then of course you wouldn’t get votes, which means you loose the competition. All said and done, I trust the public and their voting and I hope they will not disappoint me this time.

• Do you feel the pressure?

It’s always there. After Voice of India and Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar, it’s become a normal thing. I’ve got used to it. Reality shows prepare you to perform under pressure. It is do or die situation, either you perform or perish.

• So, do we see a playback singer in Harshit?

Of course that’s why I am working on right now. But the show has made me realise the importance of polishing your act and how to be a performer. A singer is a complete package of singing talent, looks and rock star performance.

• Future plans?

I have few projects coming up like Raaz II and Mere Khwaabon main jo aaye. I want to become a renowned playback singer and I am working towards this.

I WAS born in 1944 when India was still a large colonial outpost and the preferred hunting ground of the Brits. World War II was in full swing and a megalomaniac called Adolph Hitler was kicking our fragile globe around, trying to conquer and ethnically cleanse every inch of it. Food shortages and famine stalked the people; many lives were lost; there was panic and despair. If a lactating mother did not have enough food, the baby starved.

Ma had had a difficult pregnancy. I was a hungry baby and required constant feeding. She spent a lot of time looking for and hoarding powdered milk, which was rationed and imported from England. Often she found dried powdered eggs and used them as a supplement against meagre meals. She learnt to bake bread and muffins; puree tomatoes when they were cheap and store mango pulp in ice trays to make delectable ice creams. When there was a summer storm, she gathered green mangoes and turned them into delicious pickles, sweet chutneys and mango fool. She even learnt to dry parboiled potatoes that were sliced and fried as chips. The result was that nobody starved.

Economy was practiced in other spheres, too. She wove bathmats out of old strips of cloth, knitted squares out of left over wool and converted these into shawls and sweaters. She asked our American friends to post patterns that were used to make our clothes and thick winter coats. In today’s language, we remained “with it,” thanks to her ingenuity.

I followed her economic practices when a single salary did not suffice for a family of four. A pair of black, cloth moccasins had bright cloth flowers wherever the toes poked through. Guavas were boiled to make jelly and the remaining pulp went into cheeses and bread or straightforward pink jam. Pureed tomatoes were dried in the sun to make papads that were scissored into squares and used in curries. A chicken was stretched over three meals. I learnt to enjoy the gizzards, liver, heart, necks and lungs leaving the rest for my growing boys. Pizzas were made at home with strange toppings. The moment eggs became cheap, jars of pickle lined the shelves to make sandwiches and to flavour rice. Watermelon skins were churned into fabulous sweet and sour preserves. I even began a distillery on finding mahua fruit under a garden tree. The wine was clear and potent. Every bit of starch from the rice, meat and fish washings, dal water and vegetable peels were used in the garden, which flourished. Prawn shells and fish heads were put into a pit to make rich manure.

Indu Beri -- the glamorous mother of our very own Ritu -- and I learnt stitching from a master who came to the army bashas at Mhow. Ritu Beri, guided by her beautiful mother, is a name to be reckoned with in the fashion world. I made trousers and uniforms for my growing sons. Hats off to them for wearing garments that were never perfect! I turned trouser legs into shopping bags, shirts into pillowcases and strong cartons, piled one on top of the other, into bookcases.

A $140 barrel of oil has brought nations to their knees. The spectre of terrorism, poverty, inflation, shortages and debt greets us every day. Maybe, the generations before us will still teach us how to survive.

(This column appears weekly) 

Scene1: Artistic genius Nek Chand, made masterpieces from bits of waste, and some ‘insane genius’ tried to do glorify his art by simply scribbling nonsense on the walls of Phase 3 of Rock Garden. Now how cool is that. And this isn’t it; Phase3 of the Rock Garden is flooded with such familiar ‘creative’ pieces of absurdity.

Scene 2: If you happen to cross the dividing road of sector-10, you would come across a signboard with geri geri geri scratched all over, reminding us of Chandigarh’s obsession with geris. Worse still, is the signboard in front of Government College of Art is redefined by a jughead as Govt. College of fArt. Isn’t this sheer misuse of freedom and creativity?

And what do we call it. Graffiti, described as ‘an unauthorised writing or drawing on the surface in a public place’ is almost kind of a hobby with city people who can’t keep their pouring creativity to themselves.

Trees at Sukhna Lake and Rose Garden bear the brunt of such shameful acts, who try to immortalise their love bond by inscribing their names on tree trunks (as if Titu loves Pappu inside a jagged dil will add more years to their love). This doesn’t seem to stop here. A bus stop in Sector- 21 reads Jatt da bus stop, marking the territory of some contemptuous youngsters. Any more? If you happen to go from the backside of Rose Garden, a distorted signboard awaits you. It reads ‘loose motions towards Rose Garden’. How creative can you get people?

“There can be a host of reasons behind this ultimate urbane art turning into a nuisance. Sometimes it’s the minors or a bunch of spoil brats looking for plain fun,” says Yogesh Negi, an artist and a student from Punjab University. “The main purpose is to get peer recognition. But if action is not taken soon it can turn into a social problem,” he adds.

Vent for creative urge or sheer madness, nothing stops people from using public space as a canvas. “Chandigarh is a favourite stopover for tourists coming from all directions and such senseless writings are a sore to the eyes. Also, it reflects on the mindsets of people here,” feels Sonica Chaddha, a Delhite who is visiting city.

Such graffiti is a fine example of a bitter and ludicrous art form.

Krishna, with voluptuous beauties in his usual playful mood, Kali attended by China Devi, Ragi Devi and Tara Devi, captured intricately in Pahari school of painting. These can light up even the dark corner of the storeroom. And we get to see them when Government Museum and Art gallery’s assistant curator Poonam Khanna opens the teak wooden box and lifts the Nepalese cellophane paper to reveal the most priced possession of the museum — collection of Basohli painting.

We wonder why these priceless paintings are kept in confinement, accessible to only a privileged few. Well, then the answer is that the market price of these run into several crore, which can easily become a security problem. “Secondly, as most research scholars prefer to see them without the glass frame, it is easier to keep them in the storeroom and take them out whenever necessary,” says N.P.S. Randhawa, the museum director.

About 24 of such folios, which can be categorised into two broad divisions — Geet Gobinda series and Devi series are attributed to Manaku of Guler by B.N. Goswami and Eberhard Fischer in their book Pahari Masters. “Basohli is the oldest school of miniature paintings which was done around 17th century,” says Poonam Khanna. The origin of the school is attributed to a tiny village situated near Ranjit Sagar Dam, near Sujanpur in Jammu.

The colours used in the paintings can defy one’s imagination. “Yellow colour, which dominates most of the paintings of Gita Gobinda series comes from cows urine, which would be fed on excessive mango leaves to discharge the bright golden yellow hue,” explains Randhawa. And the turquoise drops that adorn Krishna’s head comes from the beetles wings.

The museum has two most significant paintings that belong to Devi series, Kali and Bhadra Kali, which were painted around 1660.

Exquisite as they are, the sad part is that these paintings will remain in the store for sometime to come. Right now, the museum has no immediate plan of changing its current setting to accommodate few more Basholi paintings on the display section.

“With prior permission one can come and have a look. But frequent exposure to sunlight is harmful for the miniatures, we are making them available on LCD,” says Poonam.

And as we leave Poonam to stack away her priceless possessions into the safety, we feel both privileged and proud to be so close to history.

parbina@tribunemail.com 

ENTERTAINMENT industry is growing at a great speed and seeking for changes every second. Between all this, multiplexes have changed the scenario of the film industry and the mindset of movie buffs.

The Great Indian Multiplex saga is not just about watching films in a different ambience. Rather, it is about a change in the kind of films we watch. From almost none a decade ago, there are now 73 multiplexes across 15 Indian cities and the number is growing. Multiplex phenomenon, along with economic importance attached to it, is showing certain amount of unification with our society and culture as well. The place that was usually considered a pilgrim’s ground for luxury shopaholics, has now added a new dimension to entertainment for moviegoers. This contagious trend has turned to the benefit of one and all.

The multiplex culture offers a certain amount of relief to the overworked generation of today. No more long , crowded booking counters and disappointments of houseful. With multiple movies going on at the same complex in different halls, people can catch a movie of their choice anytime

But there’s always the other side of the coin. Although multiplexes have provided quality entertainment, haven’t they already started to push the small traders and dealers out of the picture? When was the last time you visited the roadside dhaba near your place? And the last time you ate at Mc Donald’s at the PVR around eight blocks away? The answers to these questions might help us to balance our past and future. 

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

TOO young and naïve to grasp the complex discussions that centred around art and literature among her parents and their friends on usual family meetings, Abha Sharma could only be a curious onlooker. But this ignited in her an urge to learn performing arts, if not literature, and prompted her to participate in a theatre workshop by National School of Drama alumnus Anima Naveen at her Welham Convent School, Dehradun. She made her presence felt by playing ‘Rani’ in Raja ka Faisla.

It was just the beginning. Banking on her experience, she worked hard to win a role in an IPTA production Singhasan Khali Hai and at 15, she became an IPTA member too. Her role was appreciated and she even travelled to Kathmandu, Jhansi and Lucknow to stage the play.

While studying at GCG-11, Abha cleared the tough and competitive audition to be the anchor for Sony’s All-India Travel Show. She traveled extensively with the crew to cover heritage sites, including religious and historical places all over the country.

Her immaculate presentation on cultural traditions and social life won her a similar contract from Delhi Doordarshan. This time the show was The Spiritual Journey of India. “To anchor such shows, one requires a profound knowledge on the subject and the ability to interact with people from all walks of life,” opines Abha, a post graduate in mass communication.

However, she switched over to mainstream acting when she got a break in eight episodes of Ranjit Kapur’s serial Chekhov ki Duniya with stars like Divya Seth, Vikram Gokhle and Rajender Gupta. Later she even directed a tele film Iss Jungle Mein on female foeticide for DD-Mumbai.

But theatre still remains her first love. “My memorable performances include Abhinet’s Who is Afraid of Virgina Wolf at the US Embassy, Theatre Lab’s Ek Aur Dronacharya at Pune and Kokata festivals and Rani Balbir Kaur’s Waqt Ne Kiya. The memories still rejuvenate me, says Abha.

She attributes her successes to her mother Meera Gautam who is a D. Litt and educationist Swaran K. Sharma.

lifestyletribune@gmail.com

SHRAVAN Dhariwal (Sanjay), a business tycoon, lives in New York. His charm and money gets him any beauty he desires till he meets Varsha (Manisha). Varsha, an Indian girl values self-respect and morality much above money. She rebukes Shravan’s advances and for the first time in his life Shravan wakes up to the fact that women are not commodities. To make amends, he goes to meet Varsha’s father and asks for her hand in marriage and very soon the two get engaged. They take off on a holiday and get intimate. However, Varsha’s beautiful dream comes to a shocking end when Shravan tells her that his love for her was just a ploy to sleep with her. A devastated Varsha leaves the country, away from his life. Later, Shravan is summoned to his hometown for his younger brother Karan’s (Ajay) wedding to Payal. Shravan meets Payal and is aghast. Payal is none other than Varsha.

Showing at: Suraj, Neelam, DT Cinemas, Fun Republic, PVR

JOHN Hancock (Will Smith) is an unhappy, alcoholic superhero who is living in his own miserable and lonely world. He has saved numerous lives in LA over the years, but in doing so, has caused widespread property damage. The public want him to either stop or move to another city.

One day, Hancock saves Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), a PR spokesperson whose attempts to market his world-changing ‘All-Heart’ charity aren’t gaining traction, from being run over by a train. Ray feels he owes Hancock his life, and he makes it his mission to change Hancock’s public image. Ray persuades Hancock to go to prison so that the public will realise how much they need him. He reluctantly agrees and after a month the Chief of Police calls him to help save an officer who is pinned down in a chaotic bank robbery shootout. Hancock saves the officer.

After the rescue, Hancock becomes popular once more. Ray and his wife Mary (Charlize Theron) go out to dinner with Hancock, where he relates how he woke up 80 years earlier with no memories of his life. Later that night, while Ray sleeps after passing out from drinking too much, Hancock discovers that Mary has super powers as well. Mary reveals that they are the last two ‘gods’ or ‘angels’ and have been a couple off and on for 3,000 years. Will that upset Ray and Mary’s life?

THE animated film is based on the story of Po (voice Jack Black), a sweet, but clumsy, lazy and slacker Panda who has dreams of fighting with the legendary Furious Five and protecting the city against all threats. The only problem is that Po has no real life experience of Kung Fu, and his real job is serving noodles at his dad’s noodles shop. News of selecting the Dragon Warrior is sent out from the Jade Temple and the whole city along with Po go to the celebration. The competition is between the Furious Five: Tigress (voice Angelina Jolie), Viper (voice Lucy Liu), Crane (voice David Cross), Monkey (voice Jackie Chan), and Mantis (voice Seth Rogen). Po accidentally enters the contest and is named the Dragon Warrior. Master Shifu (voice Dustin Hoffman) must find a way to train Po and make him a Kung Fu master, especially after they learn that the snow leopard, Tai Lung (voice Ian McShane), is headed their way.

Po puts his heart and his girth into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths.

Showing at: DT Cinemas

ARIES: The Knight of Wands says you would face many strange and unusual events and occurrences. Keep an open mind and form your judgment after sufficient thought. Your own inherent energy levels would be high and would enable you to complete commitments and take on new tasks. Lucky colour: Grey. Tip of the week: Follow a fitness routine and healthy diet.

TAURUS: The Hermit reveals close family members may not be very approving of certain friendships or relationships. There may be an argument concerning finances on Monday, try and deal with it or postpone it for later. Lucky colour: Pink. Tip: Stress may cause fatigue, high blood pressure and other related ailments.

GEMINI: The Moon card says relationships would be the focus this week.  It is time for you to be realistic and evaluate your relationship to see whether it is what you really want. Communication would be key in domestic matters so be careful of what you say. Lucky colour: Forest green. Tip: You are on the right track.

CANCER: The Princes of Wands say investments would pay off. If looking for a career in media, you have a good chance. In relationships, married people would be blissful and loving while those who are single would meet someone. Lucky colour: Crimson. Tip: Beware of strangers.

LEO: Ten of Wands says most single Leos would meet someone special this week. Finances, however, could become a concern and you may want support from family. Review spending and identify areas where you have been overspending. Lucky colour: Electric blue. Tip: Avoid superficial people who create negative feelings.  

VIRGO: Your card, Justice, says this week, focus would be on relationships, especially, with opposite sex. Emotions and sentiments would be deep and intense. At work, there would be some change and it would bring positive news. Pay attention to any health concern, before it is too late. Lucky colour: Silver grey. Tip: A balance in all areas of life is recommended.

LIBRA: The Ten of Pentacles brings happiness and supportiveness. You would bask in the warmth of family and friends and help them out. Your reliability and dedication would be appreciated at work by peers and seniors. Lucky colour: Golden. Tip: Don’t make financial decisions in haste.

SCORPIO: The Princes of Cups brings high levels of energy and confidence. Despite all the hurdles and challenges, you would be able to accomplish a lot. Spending time with your spouse/partner would reignite the spark in your relationship and bring you closer. Money problems may crop up but would only be temporary. Lucky colour: Grey. Tip: Listen carefully what other peoples are saying but don’t give them your total trust.                  

SAGITTARIUS: The Hanged Man says you would be quite the picture of discretion and tact in this week. Taking the advice and guidance of an expert would help you to resolve your financial problems in a sensible and certain way. Those of you who are planning to buy a house or some property can get the process started in this week. Lucky colour: Saffron. Tip: Set the unpleasant set of events into motion.

CAPRICORN: The Empress reveals your personal life would be satisfying and content. Fever, colds and chills may bother some of you. The weekend would be entertaining. Lucky colour: Peach. Tip: Fitness routines and healthy diets are prescribed.       

AQUARIUS: The Knight of Disks says be tactful and cooperative at work. Professionals would get increments and bonuses. Married Aquarians would be planning either a baby or buying a house or something close to their hearts. Lucky colour: Brown. TIP: Don’t be impulsive in financial decisions.         

PISCES: The Ace of Pentacles says most of you may be feeling the need for emotional stability, warmth and sincerity. There may be some surprising developments mid-week. Domestic scene would be comfortable . Money matters may need attention. Lucky colour: Pink. Tip: Be true to yourself.