After the huge success of half-a-dozen films made on mythology, it is now television’s prime time slot that seems to have undergone a 180-degree change with mythology serials for children profitably replacing the saas-bahu sagas.

The scene is reminiscent of the times when Ramayana hit the small screen some 20 years back, earning record breaking TRPs.

Today, it is not just adults who are rejoicing at the respite from the woeful storylines, children also have a found a quality alternative to cartoons.

And this change has, quite obviously, made parents the happiest lot for they believe coming in of this entertainment genre will help their children inculcate social values and important of all, love for the matrabhasha, Hindi.

Punita Singh, a student counselor, finds it amusing when her son speaks shudh Hindi. “Initially, it was hard to believe my son saying kintus and parntus. But I am happy that slang in the language and words like mast and cool have suddenly vanished from his memory, courtesy Hanuman, Ganesha and Ghatotkach.”

But isn’t inclination towards Hindi something to be worried about, especially as English is considered to be the elite language?

“A kid can learn several languages at the same time. In fact, command over both the languages is equally important,” adds she.

Anjali Arora, mother of a six-year-old son, doesn’t mind the Hindi vocab. Now when her son speaks bhojan and jal, she loves it.

She says, “At least it is better than speaking Hinglish.” Also she finds it very convenient now to make her son understand the importance of moral values by relating it to the characters of Mahabharata.

The list of such flicks has grown longer with The Return of Hanuman, O My Friend Ganesha and Ghatotkach.

Sujata Sharma, a homemaker and mother of two sons, feels that mythology soaps are the perfect combination that enables education and entertainment.

She opines, “Kids began conversing more in English for they perceived that it made them stand out in the crowd and represent the educated class. But with mythology serials becoming a hit, they don’t mind now flaunting their fluency in Hindi.”

And she is all thankful to these soaps which made it possible for her to educate her kids on the importance of moral values.

“It is like taking kids back to our traditions through a visual medium,” says Parveen Bhardwaj, a mother of two.

This exhibition is certainly an
eyeopener for those of us who
are firm in our belief that our
children are not reading enough
these days and also those who had
lost all hope of their kids getting
initiated into the world of words.

But facts first, according to Sandip Basu, the organiser of the third Chandigarh Book Fair that got under way on Thursday, last year’s figures showed whopping sales of Rs 1.2 crore, out which children’s books accounted for Rs 85 lakh.

Not bad! And Basu is all set to lure young readers with a bait, which even adults would find hard to resist.

Well, the bait comes in the form of Manoj C. Dalal, who
represents My Personalized Mall, which gives the children
an opportunity to be a character in a book of their choice
and also be part of a half-an-hour film.

So, here one has the choice of joining the Justice League
or be part of Spiderman and help him fight Dr Octopus.
And as a character, the child’s name, birthplace and also
three of his/her favourite persons would be brought out
in the plot. Girls can make a choice of fairytales like Beauty and the Beast or Little Mermaid etc.

Same is the concept for the film, which comes in the form of a DVD. For this, one has to provide Dalal with a passport size picture of the child and after three weeks you will receive a DVD in which the child becomes his chosen character.

The concept is, as usual, a borrowed one from the West and even the technology the firm is using is completely foreign. Dalal gets the books published in Texas and the DVDs are being made in New York.

So, what he charges (Rs 299 to 399 for a copy of the book and Rs 1,299 for a
DVD) includes everything — production cost, post-production formalities and also
courier charges.

“I hit upon the idea when one of my relatives sent a copy of a customised book and a DVD for my child a couple of years back. None had exploited this possibility here in India, so I floated this company about one-and-a-half year back,” says Dalal, who is now managing the expansion division as vice-president.

It was purely a business venture to start with, but it took to another dimension as he got absorbed in his project.

“I love the fact that my products are inculcating reading habit among children. And the excitement on a child’s face when he sees himself as a character either in the book or the DVD is unparalleled,” says Dalal.

Quite a temptation indeed; to be able to see your name along with the hero you worship, to be a friend of a fairy tale figure you admire.

A research has indicated that olive oil had a large number of usage in ancient Greece. The research, conducted by Adelphi University’s Anagnostis Agelarakis, has outlined the use of olives and olive oil in antiquity, ancient and traditional cultivation methods, and olives and human nutrition and health.

The study says, people of that time period had a particular type of scraper (strigil) that they used to then collect all the olive oil and sweat and so on that had accumulated on their skin surface.

Olive oil was also considered a necessary item for daily sustenance. It was used to cook with and also used in the raw form in a salad dressing.

Another usage of olive oil was that it was used as a base for making perfumes because it has the tendency to stay on the human skin for quite some time as it is fat soluble.

A definite proof that olive oil had a predominant place in daily lives of people in ancient Greece is the number of references to it in comedy plays of that period.

For example, in the play ‘Pluto’, by Aristophanes, it says that the container is full of white flour, the wine jar is run over with great wine, and the tank is full of oil, the vials with perfumes.

Mythology also speaks greatly about the importance of the oil, with the prominent example being the myth that the Athenians chose Athena instead of Poseidon as their patron deity after she offered them the olive tree.

It also had various medicinal usages in ancient Greece, with Hippocrates using
olive oil-based ointments for all kinds of uses and for treating trauma, scratches,
wounds, and concussions that are not too deeply penetrating, as the oil has
healing power. —ANI

The south zone of our country is sheer culinary delight! When we think South Indian, we don’t sniff beyond dosa, vadai and idli. Vadas to the South Indians are what a Shondesh is to the Bengalis.

On Hanuman Jayanti, falling on May the 13th, statues of the mighty Pavanputra are even decked up with garlands made up of greasy fried vadas strung together! The number of vadas in every mala could be 32, 41, 50, or 105 but the digits must always total up to the number 5.

While scanning a restaurant menu, our finger halts at the tried and the tested, a tad wary of the unfamiliar. Lets head for the dosa-grind and some other popular dishes now. In the next column I will bring you some lesser known delights.

Our ancestors have been making wines since
vedic times. The process and methodology of wine
making was different then and has evolved with
time into what we see today.

I have had the opportunity of visiting some vine
yards in India and wine-making centres near Solan,
Goa and Bangalore.

True, our nascent wine industry cannot compare with the spread and variety of wines in France, Spain, Italy, USA and Canada.

But even in India, the range of wines is growing with the changing tastes of the population and the quality of raw materials now available.

Wine is the fermented juice of grapes as distinct from whisky which is made out of grain; rum, is made out of molasses from sugarcane; and gin from maize, potato etc.

In making wine from grapes, it is the sugar of grapes which ferments to form alcohol. In case of table wines, the alcohol percentage requirement is 10 to 12 per cent, while fortified wines like vermouth have an alcohol percentage of 15 to 24 per cent.

Use of yeast and sugar is also resorted to. Most wines are ready for drinking soon after fermentation but some are kept for maturing in vats.

All wines after bottling should be laid in a horizontal position so that the cork remains in touch with the wine. All wine bottles have vintage date printed on them.

One hour of life, one hour of serious introspection and the same duration to attain salvation, so many things lined up to happen in mere 60 minutes.

But this play by Asif Ali Khan, alumni and once a repertory member of National School of Drama, immaculately does it all.

Titled 59 minutes and 60 seconds, as Asif says, the play is an effort to make people realise the worth of one hour.

Written and directed by Asif, the play is a story of six naxalites, gheraoed by the army who are given an hour’s time to surrender.

He further gives us an insight into the plot, “The naxalites don’t give in and at the hide out place start recounting their entire life. It is then that they begin to realise the evil deeds they have done and repent.” After such a strong storyline, the climax of the play is equally hard-hitting.

“They introspect so much in the last one hour of their life that even death doesn’t scare them anymore. They see it as a way of liberation and salvation and start celebrating death.”

So where did he get the inspiration for the storyline from? “I didn’t get it from any book or television programme, in fact, the concept is so real that you see it all around.” Left with questions in mind, we ask him to go on.

“Today, youngsters wish to bring in overnight changes in the society. Driven by passion, they don’t realise when idealism takes the shape of romanticism, which makes them indulge is illegal activities. The play is also a call to these youngsters to revert to realism before it gets too late.”

It is a play you just would not like to miss, for all its actors, being pass outs of NSD or Indian Theatre Department, are professionals and trained.

“Experience of working with these actors has been mutually rewarding as I too got to learn so much from them.”

Now, a faculty member at the Anupam Kher’s acting school, he also talks about the difference in working with freshers and professional actors.

“Both have their own positives and negatives. Where professionals come with their homework done and enter a character, on the other side freshers can be moulded and made to act the way a director wishes them to.”

The play will be shown on 13th and 14th September at Punjab Kala Bhawan, Sector-16 at 7 pm.

It’s a tribute to the man we all loved and lost — Aditya Prakash. The man who gave us art as a member of the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi which he led as the chairperson for the last council, gave us theatre as a leading member of Abhinet group and as the architect of Tagore Theatre, gave us Chandigarh as a team member of the Capitol Project!

Photo: S. Chandan

He needs not to be
reminded as the entire
city is soaked with his
presence, but we do
it anyway. Because
this particular art
exhibition at Punjab
Kala Bhavan-16 gives
us a reason to talk
about him, recall the
moments we shared
with him and like
always, it brings
out a smile.

This one is the last annual exhibition Aditya Prakash conceived but could not execute. Carrying forward the torch is Diwan Manna, bringing out the works of 103 artists in three categories – students, professionals and invitees.

An uphill tasks for the organisers and even more difficult one for us reviewer, because subjects vary and so does the style of execution.

So we look for a common thread and we find that three aritsts’ works – Anjali S. Aggarwal has done it and so have Brahm Prakash and Rajender—they all have used blocks in the fore ground.

Brahm’s love for the city and the city’s influence on his works is nothing new, but when we see the others following it, we get curious, is it a trend which is emerging in the city artscape?

“Well, trend I do not know, but this is definitely an influence of the city on us artists. I wanted to capture the inner strength of the city through the bull and bring the inherent character of the city through the blocks. Also I wanted to play with textures.” That sums up Anjali’s painting. Couldn’t have been more befitting for a tribute to Prakash.

Though in the student’s category we see promising works by Mukesh Kumar, Hriday Kant Sandil, Deepak, Robin Singh, Parul, Anuradha, Rajbir Singh, Harmeet Singh, Joginder Pal Gandy and Geetika Pathania (all award winners), in the professional category we see familiar names and a few familiar paintings, for instance Vinay Vadhera’s Ace, which is based on the greeds of the pandas of Hardwar.

Six have won awards in this category, which includes Ritu M.Bansal, Anand Kumar Sharma, Subhash Shorey, Preeti Sharma, Jagdeep Jolly and Vadhera.

A woman with long, attractive legs always catches more attention. Whether it is a pair of jeans or churidars, shorts or skirts, if you have those slender legs then people are sure to take a second look at you.

Don’t forget to add zing to your style by wearing high heels. But if your legs are not perfect there is nothing like exercising, as it will add grace to your body posture. Other than exercising, yoga would too be ideal.

Cellulite is one of the problems that mar the look of the legs. Caused by deposits of water, fat and other wastes that get collected in pockets beneath the skin, it appears in the form of lumps and tiny bulges.

The slowing down of the body’s waste removal process is the tentative cause. Chronic constipation, sluggish digestion, poor liver function, stress, chronic fatigue, insomnia and a sedentary lifestyle are also some of the causes.

Since cellulite is considered to be a lifestyle problem, bring about a change in your diet. Doctor’s advice must be sought before deciding the diet chart and finalising an exercising regime.

The daily diet should have raw foods like fruits, salads and sprouts, along with unrefined cereals. Also drink plenty of water for the removal of wastes.

Massage is an important part of the treatment, along with skin brushing. Long strokes help to stimulate blood and lymphatic flow.

The area with cellulite should be squeezed and kneaded, followed by stroking
movements again.

Legs should be brushed using a rough cloth or a natural bristle brush. Begin the process from the feet and then go upwards. Wash your legs with warm water.

To keep your legs soft and silky, wax them and thus give them a soft feel, which is also the most inexpensive method to remove unwanted hair.

It takes out hair by roots. If done on a regular basis then over a period of time the hair growth lessens and texture becomes softer.

Shaving, though is quick, hair is only removed from the surface of the skin. Repeated shaving can make the hair thick and coarse.

I normally advise against chemical depilatories, since they contain chemical
ingredients that dissolve the hair and are known to cause allergic rashes and
discolouration of the skin.

But in case you want to go for it then begin by reading the directions on the depilatory. The best results can be achieved before the hair has grown long.

Perfect shape and look of legs is also a part of grooming and should not be ignored as it can infuse in you a lot of confidence.

After doing a cameo in Shaurya, Amrita Rao will be
seen as an illiterate village girl in director Shyam Bengal's
first comedy Welcome to Sajjanpur.

Amrita, who has featured in hits like Main Hoon Na and
Vivah, says she is a big fan of Benegal and accepted the
offer without even asking about her role in the film. Here's
her latest.

Why Welcome to Sajjanpur?

Ever since I had seen Zubeidaa, I wanted to work with Shyam Benegal. And when I got a call from his office, I was thrilled. I was in such awe that I didn't ask him any questions about the film. All I knew at that time was that I want to do this film.

What do you have to say about his comic sense?

Well, I would like to define Shyamji as somebody with a great sense of humour who just went against contemporary cinema, had courage to make wholesome cinema, an entertaining film with a beautiful plot.

What made you play an illiterate woman in the film?

I loved the way my character developed in the film. The peculiar get up of a villager, the different dialect in which I had to talk, my costumes, the star cast, everything excited me.

How difficult was it?

Well, I won't say it was very difficult, but it wasn't a cakewalk either. I did take reference by observing village women, watching news, spending time with them, research through internet. It required plenty of homework.

Since the film is about writing letters, do you answer your own fan mails?

Yes, of course, I do. Whenever I get time, I sit down to answer my fan mails. I write letters to a lot of my cousins too.

How was it working with Shreyas Talpade, Divya Dutta, Ravi Kishan
and Ila Arun?

Shreyas is a brilliant actor and an amazing co-star. I had a whale of a time working with him. Divya Dutta is super talented, it's fun to be with her. Ravi Kishan is a powerhouse of performance and Ilaji is just adorable, she used to make all of us laugh like crazy. It was an incredible experience.

All actors speak Hindi in the films, but you have gone one step further and spoken a different dialect. How difficult was it?

It was again not too difficult and not too easy... I worked hard on my dialogue delivery. Ashok Mishra, who is the writer as well as the dialogue coach of the film, used to help all of us to get our dialogues right.

Which Shyam Benegal's film is your personal favourite?

That's a difficult question. All his films are excellent but one, which I love the most, is Zubeidaa. I think it was an amazing film.

Madness is like gravity…what you need
is a little push.And the push is constant
and up-to-the-minute, when it comes to
the small screen.

Well, we all have our moments of madness.
And if you are amongst the devoted tube
brigade, then madness is one thing that
rules the roost!

Every week we witness a new serial being slapped on our faces, with heavy emotional masala and bizarre fashion overdose.

But kahani me naya twist is the mentally unstable protagonist. Like this week's primetime launch on Sony, Aathvaan Vachan.

Even as Delhi High Court has kept the Warner Bros' petition for injunction against Mirchi Movies' forthcoming film Hari Puttar - A Comedy of Terrors pending, the production house is finding it hard to get the movie promoted on the popular TV channels. Hari Puttar - A Comedy of Terrors is scheduled for Sep 19 release.

Being a movie essentially meant to entertain children, the production banner wanted to have it promoted across all kids channels. The two popular networks, Pogo and Cartoon Network, have, however, refused to run the movie's promotional clips. Both the channels belong to Time-Warner group of companies.

Warner Bros filed the case against the movie as the title Hari Puttar is similar to Harry Potter, Warner's franchise of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter book series, and, therefore, borders on infringement of its intellectual property rights. But Mirchi Movies contended that 'Hari puttar' is an Indian name, meaning god's son.

"Besides, the story of the film has no resemblance to Warner's 'Harry Potter' franchise," said Munish Puri, CEO of Mirchi Movies.

Warner Bros even dismissed the suggestion that Hari Puttar - A Comedy of Terrors display a disclaimer before the start of the movie, saying that it has no resemblance to Harry Potter franchise.

The Hollywood studio is adamant to stall the scheduled release of the movie even though its next movie of the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, is delayed until next summer. It was expected to be released on Nov 29.

Hari Puttar - A Comedy of Terrors, directed by Lucky Kohli and Rajesh Bajaj, has Sarika, Jackie Shroff, Zain Khan, Saurabh Shukla and Lilette Dubey in the cast.

Though the movie's plot, admittedly, is not similar to any book of Rowling's Potter series, it is alleged that the story is strikingly similar to 20th Century Fox's 1990 production Home Alone.

After 13 weeks of action, fight, drama and accidents, the 1st season of TV game show, Bindass Dadagiri, came to an end with Neil Pereira as the winner.

Preparing for his MBA this tough, rugged, no nonsense guy triumphed over the bullies and walked away with the cash prize of Rs five lakh.

A lover of slow rap and rock, Neil once aspired to become a rock star and also learnt the guitar.

A game show that gave chance to 168 contestants was based on the theme where contestants had to survive the punishing and bullying tactics of three quintessential dadas and compete against each other to win the prize.

Unlike other reality shows this show was a test of physical strength, brains and
raw courage that challenged the contestants mental and emotional endurance in
every episode.

All keyed up Neil said, “Bindass Dadagiri tested me not only physically but also mentally. And after winning the show I have proven it to myself and to others that I am physically and mentally strong.” — D. P.