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Hello f.r.i.e.n.d.s “THEY say age should not matter unless you are a cheese.” And youngsters today are sure following this advice, when it comes to friendship. As their mantra for dosti and yaari sets itself free from the marked territory of boy and girl notion and young and old fixation. Inspired by the Kajol- Shahrukh buddydom in KKHH and stirred by ‘ek choti si friendship’, between Sexy and Big B in Cheeni Kum, the message is clear: Friendship is a bond too strong to follow any rules or regulations, the only thing that matters here is, emotional quotient. For Sukrant Bhatia and Shivani Raghuvanshi, from department of Mass Communication, Panjab University, who are self-confessed cronies, friendship is much more than age and gender. “It’s an age of coming out in the open about things we believe in. So we are not bound by rules when choosing friends. Shivani is my support system and I can discuss all my emotional stuff with her as much as I can share a cup of coffee with her,” says Sukrant. Although the two know each other only from past one year, their friendship has grown into a strong bond. “We hang out regularly and can be found almost attached to each other,” says Sukrant. As for Shivani, she doesn’t believe in any kind of isolation in friendship. “If we are comfortable with a person and share our secrets and troubles who cares if it’s a he or she?” says Shivani. For Gaurav, Divya, Ripudaman, Rohan and Navchetan, IV semester student from UIET, Panjab University friend is a six-letter word that can keep you going through hard times. “We associate friendship with strength and not with gender. Though today the word friendship means to hang out and have fun but for us it is about sharing lives”. “Talk about those oh-so girlie talk and a manly discussion, today the world of friendship has turned it 360 degrees and there is nothing that a girl and a guy cannot discuss”: says Samarjeet Singh, a businessman from Ludhiana. He adds: “Choosing a friend has nothing to do with their age and gender. It comes from the trust and bonding between two people. I won’t hesitate in crying in front of a girl if it provides me an emotional outlet.” Age too takes a backseat in this present-day friendship scenario, and you can very well find a friend in your mother, father or grandpa next door. Shares Ragini Gupta, an engineering student from Barwala: “I found a friend in my 50- year-old neighbour, who lives with her husband.” For Ragini, it started as a student-teacher relation and the USP of their friendship now is the equation between the two, which Ragini describes as dynamic. “She is a constant source of positive energy in my life. We go out for coffee or a movie whenever we get time. And we have endless talks about everything, from my latest crush to her secret recipe and not to mention, the regular sessions of advice on the rights and wrongs of life.” lifestyletribune@gmail.com AS we spin the ball of life, friendship holds different meaning for different people. Where some believe it to be a way of life, others feel friends are the world and then there are some for whom friendship means loads of fun and dhamaal. But have you ever wondered what would life be without a dear darling friend? That friend who you can share all with you, who understands you better than anyone else, who stands by you no matter what. And as we celebrate the day of love and companionship we share notes with people from different walks of life on their take on friendship. “Friendship to me is one word with different meanings. It is a special feeling of oneness that connects you to the world of joys,” says Ishani Sood, B.com II, student from SD College -32. She adds: “Friendship cannot be celebrated on a specific day, it's a bond of life that knows no days, hours or minutes. And today, I have number of friends who mean the world to me.” Celebrating camaraderie, Veenu Mangal, III year student of Government Art College -10 says: “We are group of friends who love to hang out together. But, when we talk of friendship and the day dedicated to it, we all believe it’s a day to share good and bad times.” Talk of the plans for the D-day and she says: “This year we have chalked out some great plans for friendship day. First comes a lunch and then we will go out for a movie. Later we will hang out at a café and then gift friendship bands to our pals.” Lending a shoulder of strength Isha Kakaria and Neha have been friends for more than 14 years. A model and a trained dancer, Isha shares her story of companionship, “It sounds strange but we haven’t studied together in the same school or college but we've been best of friends since kindergarten. As far as I remember, we became friends playing together in the neighborhood". The duo adds, "People have come can gone from our lives but we are still together and we will be for all times to come ". For Richa Taneja, who is pursuing MCA from Chitkara Institute of Engineering & Technology, friends stay forever with no bindings of time, “Friends are for lifetime but as we grow in life on a different meaning. The bond grows strong but other things also take priority. For my friend and me, we share a bond of almost 22 years. We became friends when we were in nursery. We have different careers, we meet rarely but there is a strong between us. We need no special day to show what friendship means to us,” they smile. “Old friends will always be there and the new one’s will add to the string of friendship”, says Gagan Lakhanpla, an employee with IT Company. Taking about friendship he says, “friendship takes a new turn the minute you cross the college gate and then days like friendship day have no meaning.” jigyasachimra@tribunemail.com |
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Full of khot Ugly Aur Pagli Avoidable Rajiv Kaplish But what’s common between them? Her predilection for giving him slaps and his willingness to receive them. Sounds like madcap stuff. But you wish it was original. It is not. Only, a frame-by-frame copy of a hit Korean film, My Sassy Lady — enough to make the audience dub it Ugly Aur Ugly, instead of Ugly Aur Pagli. Shorey might have allowed Mallika to go scot-free after repeatedly hitting him, but the viewers are in no mood to let director Sachin Khot go unpunished for brazenly trying to pass it off as a unique love story. The more they see it, the angrier they get. When the worst is over, they wonder what it was all about? Was it to show Sherawat’s tantrums, which evoke yawns? Or, to demonstrate Ranbir’s awkward grimaces which are anything but funny. Mallika can’t decide whether she has to flare her nostrils every now and then or frequently get drenched and serenade by the poolside. The result: she either keeps on getting drunk and throwing up or performing quirky dances in Anarkali costumes. Shorey’s dilemma is even deeper than that of the burnt-out babe. He doesn’t know whether he is supposed to be a lover boy or Mallika’s chaperone who has to wear ladies’ sandals with heels and ride a bicycle without a seat at Her Majesty’s behest. Unable to decide, he keeps on making a spectacle of himself. But worse is the fate that awaits the likes of Zeenat Aman, Tinnu Anand and Sushmita Mukherjee who are reduced to minions and perform two-minute roles in a movie having B-grade protagonists. But much as we empathise with them, we also pour scorn on the director’s imagination which is full of ‘khot’ and reduces his misadventure to something which is neither a romantic tale nor a comedy. Showing at: Fun Republic, DT Cinemas, PVR, Nirman, Suraj-Panchkula |
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No resurrection please! After The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, actor Brendan Fraser makes a comeback as explorer Rick O’ Connell in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Along with wife Evelyn (Maria Bello) and son Alex (Luke Ford), he fights a mummy woken up from a 2000-year-old curse and banishes it before it becomes an unstoppable force and destroys the world. At one point of time, it suspiciously looks similar to the recently released Indiana Jones movie. Like Harrison Ford, Fraser also has a grown up son. Some of the pyrotechnics and battle sequences, too, are picturised on the scale of those in Indiana... On several occasions, even the repartee between some characters is similar. Director Rob Cohen thinks an array of special effects can compensate for a weak storyline. He is sadly mistaken. The overall impact is nothing to write home about. While the performances are average, even the humour is stale. The franchise is certainly not in the league of its predecessors. We throw in the towel. It is high time the makers follow us and give the mummy a decent burial instead of resurrecting it time and again. Showing at:
Fun Republic, DT Cinemas, PVR |
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Shall We Dance? Awestruck by Madhuri’s latkas and jhatkas? Now it’s your turn to put on the dancing shoes. Having caught people’s fancy, it’s the new dance forms like jive, cha-cha and waltz that are taking city folks beyond the realm of party dancing. People are swinging to the tunes of cha cha cha, doing Jazz ballets, gyrating to the beats of salsa, roomba and samba, grooving on hip hop and Bollywood thumkas. The dance fever is on the rise and we are all ready to boogie. Says Priya, manager of Planet Fitness: “People are exploring other dance forms like never before. We teach Latin dances like cha cha cha, samba and roomba. Though Bollywood style is popular, more and more people are trying ballroom and western dances.” And what’s hot? “Hip hop is popular among kids and youngsters while ballroom dances and Bollywood numbers are popular with all ages,” says Priya. And with age no bar , these new form of dances have become an important part of socialising . And the inspiration comes from, where else but TV. Agrees Rajiv Garg, director, Dance World-17: “Thanks to the overdose on the boobtube, people are now aware of the various dance forms, which were unknown before.” He says there are two reasons for dancing — recreational and professional. “Eighty per cent of the people who come to us are beginners and go in for softer forms like Bollywood dancing, tango and salsa. For the other 20 per cent, professional dancing is the motive and they go for tougher forms like ballet and waltz, which requires grace and rhythm,” he adds. Not far behind the angrezi dances is our folk dance forms. So put on your dancing shoes and aaja nach le! |
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Write to Renee n I am 29, going through life with a chip on my shoulder. I view everything in life from a negative perspective. Whatever the situation, I am never happy. I am always looking at what could have been instead of what it is. I am always miserable. I have just been through a bad marriage and I constantly tell myself that I should not have married him. I feel that one bad choice in life has left an unshakeable impression on me. How can I change myself? Ritu Sohani , ChandigarhAll you need to do is to change your perspective. You have definitely allowed your bad marriage affect you deeply. And also seem to have connected to some fear. This fear is due to lack of trust in yourself as you feel that you could not control your life or make it happen the way you wanted. You have to learn to let go. Similarly, in every situation you reach, you want it otherwise, as you think that might be a better deal. Please cut this pattern out of your life and go through a complete change of perception. Trust the power within yourself – when you ask yourself to feel this power it will come to your aid. Do not hurt yourself so much. Reach out with love within and pray for Divine guidance. n I am 21, studying in a college. I am in love with a classmate. I feel that I have found my soulmate. I really don’t know how she feels about me but do know that I would love to connect with her and date her. How can I approach her in a manner that shall not be overbearing or offensive? I want her to like me and do not want that she should think I am a very forward guy. Please guide me. Anurag Mathur , PanchkulaThis is an interesting situation. It is good to know that youngsters too trust their instincts. Well, if you feel that there will be some great relationship between you guys, just go on. If you are convinced about something in life then half the battle is already won. When we make up our mind to do something the Universe conjoins to help us achieve it. You can, of course, ask her for a cup of coffee in your canteen to discuss some class work. Her reaction to your suggestion will surely give you an idea as how to deal with the situation. Nothing in life happens overnight. Take it slowly and watch your relationship progress. Remember, if it’s meant to be, it will happen. But do give it the gentle push to set the ball rolling. All the best to you. n I am a 28, engaged to a 35-year- old engineer from the U.S. I am excited about moving to a new country, but at the same time I am apprehensive. My parents have never praised me for anything. I have spent my whole life trying to impress them, but they always criticisied me. When I was a kid, my mother would often physically abuse me. Now that I am getting married, my childhood fears are surfacing and I am scared that I might have to go through the same emotional suffering. Please help. Alice Dsouza , ChandigarhWhy are you allowing so much pain to enter your life? Your are in a blissful age. C’mon, just live it up and not don’t let the dark clouds of negativity get to you. What happens in our childhood does leave an indelible impression on our life, but then we are the creators of our own inner reality. Wipe off all the pain and look for the beauty around you. You have a new life waiting for you and a chance to make a whole new pattern rather than re-living the past. But, if you don’t get rid of the old wounds, you will go into the same rut. Enjoy. Live life on your terms and step out of your limitations. Don’t allow the fears to get to you. (This column appears weekly)
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Aam delight It’s
raining food fests. And this one’s for people with a sweet tooth. Pleasing to the eyes they leave you asking for more. Nik Bakers, in association with CIHM and Chandigarh Tourism, organise for you a two-day mango festival at Hotel Chandigarh Beckons-42. Inaugurated by Jean Rodrigues (First Lady of Punjab) this fest brings an assortment of European mango delicacies. Called, Mango Mania, here you can have your fill with mango desserts, cookies, breads, mango ice-creams and much more. A treat for the saccharine lovers, here you try the mango cheese cake, an Italian delicacy it’s made with Italian cheese (mascarpone) and has a crunchy biscuit base or a mango upside-down cake which is a German soft dry yoghurt based butter cake, topped with fresh mangoes. That’s not all! You can also have your fill of toothsome desserts with majo cateaux, a moist French delicacy made with layers of chocolate cake, French cream and dried mangoes, mango muffins, mayo canache macarocons (a cookie made with mango and fresh coconut), mango tropical salad and lot more. Priced at Rs 50 a serving, you can walk in from 11.30 am to 8.30 pm to try these mouth watering desserts. |
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Lauki -less in Chandigarh Sreedhara Bhasin Growing up in Kolkata, there are several things one takes for granted. For example, if you are out for morning walks and there is a nice, plum hibiscus reposing on a bush on the way – you pluck it, for flowers have no ownership. I grew up as the youngest of three sisters in an open and rambling house. Anytime, we had cousins stay over, the kids went for morning walks. That was a great thrill for me, who happened to be the youngest in the gang. I would beg them to wake me up and take me along. After much snorting and teasing me about being the baby they would finally acquiesce. Of course, I was quite useful to them. We would walk to the lake close by, passing houses with nice lawns and gardens, big chameli and mango trees, sometimes leaning over the high boundary walls. As the unwritten contingency of my inclusion in this apparent adventure, I would be hoisted on the wall by the tallest and would have to pluck the white chamelis hanging above. Chandigarh is very civilized when it comes to territorial vegetation. The beautiful lawns in the fullest blooms in winter stay unscathed. The roses hang high and proud, the mangoes in summer can turn red. I recently heard about an incident that rocked my deep-seated faith in Chandigarh fruit and flower conduct. In a typically beautiful Chandigarh house, grew a lauki tree under the loving care of the mistress of the house and her mali, who made up for his shirking streak by loquaciousness. Primed by their joint enterprise, soon a lauki emerged on the vines. The mistress of the house was elated. She blessed the lauki with benevolence and positive force so that it would grow and sure enough, the lauki grew steadily, filling out under its smooth green skin, shining attractively. At this point, the mali suggested that the lauki be cut. He had a foreboding that a certain lady in the neighbourhood was eyeing the lauki too lovingly. This particular lady who owned a fearsome dog had already displayed an unsettling interest in the growing vegetable. The mali said “Biwiji, kat dalo.” The mistress said – “It’s my lauki. Why should I be afraid of her? Mat kato.” However, this pregnant hiatus was shattered one morning. The lauki was gone and yes, the winds of corroboration strongly suggested the handiwork of the lady with the fearsome dog. What is one to do at a time like this? Accost the perpetrator? Get bitten by her dog? Greet her nicely and pretend the lauki did not reach her digestive system? Steal her flowers? As an infant flower-thief, I can only conjure feeble excuses — maybe, she was bullied by her dog into larceny! Maybe, the dog is vegetarian!! (This column appears weekly) |
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SHE is a bimbo on a kinky trip. Sozzled to the gills, she is not the kind of character you would like to come calling on your son. He is a carefree punk who is a sucker for everything and ready to do bizarre things to help her. She is pagli. He is ugly. She is Mallika Sherawat. He is Ranbir Shorey.
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