After the Rose-y role of a Punjaban in Singh is Kinng, Kirron Kher’s new portrayal is all about Bongs, bourses and biwis, writes Mona

A day of saris and sensex. Kirron Kher, the actor who has enlivened many a role on the silver screen, was in town on Monday to promote her new movie Saas, Bahu aur Sensex and showcase the season’s sari trends.

Slated to be released on September 19, Saas, Bahu…is a Warner Brother venture in India. Talking about the film at Taj-Chandigarh, Kirron said, “The movie is all about the upcoming India, the glorious future that the country is heading towards.”

After doing a plenty of Punjabi roles, in the latest flick, Kirron plays a Bengali woman, Vinita Sen, who, troubled by her failed marriage moves from Kolkata to Navi Mumbai with a daughter to start a new life. She finds new friends in the colony from different backgrounds—-Gujarati, Sindhi and Punjabi—-and joins their kitty parties. The movie then moves from ‘unpredictable women’ to the ‘unpredictable stock market’.

Is it an extension of the saas-bahu saga on TV? “Not at all. But yes, the movie is about women who watch such sagas on telly,” she quips.

My early memories of Ramzan are not of hunger pangs or the sumptuous food laid out for the evenings, but a story which my father would narrate every year 
unfailingly.

For a child living in a remote village of Assam in those days, the watch was a rare commodity and how often he had to wait for nature’s signs as indicators for breaking his fasts. Bats, flying bats out of their nests, was considered a sure-shot sign as that marked the end of the day. So, my father found a technique to cut down on his fasting time – poke a stick into their nests to make them fly!

Sounds like a tale from the pre-historic era. I never questioned him on the spirit behind his faith, or whether his rozas were accepted in the religious sense. But it aroused a lot of questions regarding the dos and don’ts in my tender mind, which largely remained unanswered, as I was too shy to ask the local maulana or my father, lest I invite an overdose of sermons.

Well, that was then. Time of horse-drawn carriages and flying bats! But now things are different. Technology has touched all spheres of life, even religion. Haven’t we heard how sisters are tying rakhis in the cyber space or wives breaking karwa chauth fasts after sighting their husband’s face on the webcam?

Even the Muslim community is waking up to the need of the hour. And taking a lead in this direction is our city lad Arshad Khan, a nominated councilor and convener of an NGO called Uniter Progressive Musilm Front. And his first step has been to start a helpline ‘to help those who have questions about the holy month but don’t know whom to ask,’ as he puts it.

The helpline is just a few days’ old but he is already flooded with queries. “My callers are mostly educated youngsters of the community between the ages of 15 to 30,” says Arshad. And they are not just from the city, but from the neighbouring areas too, as he has distributed pamphlets about this helpline in various mosques.

In his early 30s, known to be the youngest nominated councillor in the Chandigarh MC, how equipped is he for handling questions which require in-depth knowledge? “I have deep interest in religion,” comes his reply. As for research, he consults the muftis or ulemas of Chandigarh or even Darul Deoband, refers to the Hadees and also by accessing information available in the Net.

The questions vary from basics about Ramzan to medical problems like taking injections during a fast or the precautions for diabetic patients keeping fasts to physical intimacy during the month. “I got this call from an international caller who asked me when he should break his fast as the sun in his land sets only after 9.30 pm,” Arshad shares.

Having to handle such queries all day long except during prayer time requires a lot of energy, specially when he himself is fasting. But the responses he has received so far have enthused him to move head on. “I am in the process of developing a website and a lot of content has gone into it. Inshallah, I hope to release it within the 15th of Ramzan. Then I will be able to interact with people beyond the geographical boundary.” Ameen!

Helpline numbers:
4661786/4662786/4663786

I hate my boss. One tight slap...lest you have other ideas, these are wacky SNS the city youth are logging on to, writes Manpriya Khurana

Orkut, Hi-fi, Facebook…!!! Yawn… enough has been said and written about it, on it. It allows you to keep in touch with your friends, your alma mater, your alumni, blah blah…sweet, sugary and suffocating. But not for everyone. For most of them, these sites have a cathartic element attached to them. Because it is a medium that allows you to express who and what you are, to throw your attitude, or whatever you want do — no questions asked, no answers given.

Don't be surprised if you come across communities like I Love Sleeping. Hey wait…. There's actually a community by that name. And boy! It is really popular. With 37, 382 members, you bet it is. Connect it to a community named I Hate to Get up Early. This one enjoys the patronage of 7672 members. What is the idea behind these? Says, Harjot Virk, B.Tech student from Mohali, who is a member of one such community, "I think it's part of your profile and persona only. I join communities that I can either relate to or like."

Call it weird or call it unique, but it doesn't stop there. There's a community that says I Hate My Boss. There are countless number of related and similar communities inspired by the same fervent feeling of hatred for the boss. Looks like, it's set to become an institution!

Some, however, like to join them to become a known entity. As Manisha Sharma, a BCA student, says, "It actually tells a lot about the person. If I want to know anyone or judge that person, I would certainly count the kind of social communities he or she belongs to." As long as no one's getting hurt or harmed, no one is minding.

These communities too are a reflection of the time and social trends. As psychologist, Rajshree Sarda, says, "Youngsters these days want to experiment. The internet provides you anonymity, where people fulfill or express their imagination openly without hesitation. Probably they would not be doing it in real life." She adds, "There is also a therapeutic element attached to this behaviour, as it gives a sense of fulfillment."

Coming back to the W (read weird) factor, there's even one with the name One Tight Slap!…. This one likes to describe itself as 'Are you really irritated with everyone around you, would you want to teach your boss or lecturer a lesson? Do you want to attack?' Tempted? Go join it. Or, if you love the moon, stars, sun, express yourself or better still hate anything —cockroaches, injections, exams. Chances are there must be already several communities dedicated to it. If not, who's stopping you from creating one?

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Blogging. Anyone and everyone’s doing it, from freshers to filmstars. It’s bringing out the writer in all and our student fraternity is no exception, writes Jasmine Singh

‘Check out XYZ with a new haircut. The food on the campus is awesome. Try a mini meal. What do you think about traffic outside the law department? Hey have you guys read Oscar Wilde. Can we do something about the floods? Guys, we should collect donations….’ This and lots more, blogs created by and for the students talk about just anything and everything under the sun.

From serious issues to frivolous gupshup to hard-hitting opinions, they are writing their hearts out. And you bet, there are many who have joined the league.

Says Manpreet Randhawa, an arts student from SD College-32, who feels that blogs represent a democratisation of information and lend each individual an opportunity to publicly present their thoughts and opinions. “But, I want only students who strongly feel about certain issues to check my blog, which is why I haven’t distributed my blog address to all and sundry.”

Well, everything is not serious and everyone’s not blogging for an effect. For some it is nothing less than a social networking site, wherein you can discuss everything under the sun. “We have a blog which is more or less like a networking site. Here, we post our comments on issues that we feel and don’t feel strongly about. It’s like a common board where everybody is free to write,” offers Prachi Mahajan, student from GCG-11, who has formed a blog ‘We listen to you’ with a group of friends. For some these blogs are a motivation to virtually come out of their cocoon and talk about things through this medium. Prachi adds, “Youngsters who know they have an audience other than their teachers, can write better on blogs.”

Here’s how do you get started:

n Go to blogger
n Click Start Here or Learn more about it and then click to begin.
n Type in your username, pass word, name, and e-mail account.
n Fill in a title and description for your blogging web page.
n Keep the circle by “Host at….”
n Type an address for your blog.
n Click to accept terms of service, and then click Next.
n Select a template and click Finish.
n Type an entry. (Maybe some thing like, “This is my first blog entry.”)
n Choose a different formatting if you wish (to bold, italic, etc.).
n Hit Post and Publish.
n Wait for a few seconds and then hit View Web Page.

Jasmine@tribunemail. com

For anyone and everyone who has an iPod, the most important accessory are the iPod speakers, They are important because it’s no point keeping the great iPod experience all to ourselves.

Boy meets girl and they fall in love. But the families, which are arch-rivals, come in the way. Rest you can well imagine. But then, this one is a time-tested formula the film industry has been experimenting with time and again. Our Punjabi film industry is no different, which is all set to bring out this topic once again in its latest offering, Luv U Bobby.

This flick will see Guggu Gill and Yograj Singh, once a popular jodi, sharing the screen space after a gap of 13 years. As they announce the beginning of the shooting of the film on Monday, we get the actors talking about their roles, past experiences and much more.

“The subject of the film is old, but it will be presented in the backdrop of a modern Punjab. So you will not see any trace of the rustic Punjab in this one,” avers Yograj. He does not forget to mention that face of the Punjabi film industry has undergone a catharsis. “Filmmakers are experimenting these days and are making films on subjects that family dramas, love stories to social issues and Manmohan Singh is the trendsetter.”

L-R: Vikram Sidhu, Poonam, Yograj Singh & Jiya Chopra

Guggu Gill, who has been a part of the industry for the past 20 years, will play the hero’s father. About the film, he says, “It is a complete an entertainment package with lots of drama, dance, and action.” The actor, who was recently seen in Mera Pind, believes that professionalism and flexible budget is making the industry thrive. “Till a decade ago, we did not know how important it was to market a product and how to launch a film. Many good films got bombed because of we lacked of proper strategies but today we are following Bollywood’s tactic and hence earning returns,” he adds.

Happy that the NRI segment is taking interest in Punjabi cinema, he says, “They give the same response to our films as much as any Bollywood production which is quite encouraging.”

Poonam and Vikram Sidhu will make their debut in the lead roles. Renowned playback singers like Labh Janjua, Kunal Gnajawala, Kailash Kher and Sunidhi Chauhan will lend their voice to the songs. The film will be directed by Gurinder Singh.

ashima@tribunemail.com

Yqeen ke noor se, raushan hein raaste apne
Yeh voh chiraag hein, toofan jise bhujha naa ska…

Photo by Manoj Mahajan

This couplet describes the determined look one sees on this beautiful face. Determination, to face the adversities that life throws at a blind person. And this beautiful and determined face belongs to Kiran. Born and brought up at Gurdaspur, Kiran, a B.Sc nursing student at the CMC Ludhiana, had a promising career ahead but destiny had a rude shock in store. A deadly brain fever in 1992 snatched her eyesight completely. Though her father Bishamber Das, retired Army personnel, spent all his lifesavings on her treatment, nothing worked. Any girl would have got dejected, resigned herself to the fate, but not Kiran. She resolved to fight back with courage and now she here she is, teaching visually impaired children at the Institute of Blind-26. ”I had heard about ‘When there is a will, there is a way’ and when I practiced it in life with a firm resolve and plenty of hard work, it really bore fruits. It was a resurrection for me,” says Kiran.

Most often, visually impaired persons opt for music, but Kiran decided to make the most of technology and infrastructure. “Nothing is impossible. I started learning the braille, typing and shorthand, which got me a job. Later, I joined this institute here in 1997 where my career blossomed. The support and affection I am getting from students and faculty, specially Maj-Gen Rajender Nath give me immense satisfaction,” she says.

She forgets all her tragedies when she sees her students getting jobs in various organisation. But the job satisfaction has not put a full stop to her growth. After completing a master degree in sociology, she cleared the UGC test for fellowship and now she is pursuing her doctorate in sociology from Panjab University. Says Kiran with pride, “My doctoral thesis Perceptions of Visually Impaired – Support System for Educated in Visually Blind in the Region is close to my heart and I am putting my best,” she claims.

Her mentor and guide Madhurima Verma admires Kiran’s brilliance and dedication and calls her a role model for people in all walks of life.

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A music concert Rock On by the cast of Bollywood movie by the same name enthralled the audience in New Delhi. The concert that was held in an open-air theatre and began with music composers of the film, Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa singing Ganesh Vandana. Mahadevan sang a few songs from other movies to set the mood for the evening. Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal, who essays the role of Joe Mascarenhas in the film set the temperatures soaring as he sang a popular song from the film. Rampal said he had to learn how to play guitar, as the director was a hard task who wanted to shoot in a realistic manner."When I read the script it required me to learn all the musical instruments because Abhishek (the director of the film) was very clear that he wanted to do it realistically. I took guitar classes and it took me three months to pick up how to play guitar. All chords which I have played during this performance are the right chords," Rampal told the reporters after the concert.Farhan Akhtar, who has sung six of the nine songs in the film, said that the theme of the film suited his music tastes. "I listen mainly to rock music, with Beatles being my favourite. I also listen to Hindi film music and to western classical music but when I am in the mood," said Farhan.Also present on-stage were co-stars Purab Kohli, Luke Kenny, Shahana Goswami and Koel Puri.The audience's favourite was Bollywood hunk Rampal, who has a sizeable female following. The film Rock On is set in Mumbai and tells the story of four friends out to re-create their passion for music and art as they finally begin to live out their dream by forming a rock band.