If only oodles of oomph could get you to the pinnacle of a career, well then, every other sexy looking model in the industry would have hogged the limelight. All the same, only some can carry oomph with élan. Sherlyn Chopra is one such babe. But she isn’t all about a diamond-studded bikini or umpteen rumours, the singer believes in ‘being natural.’ “Arched eyebrows or bootylicious bodies don’t make women sexy,” says Sherlyn. “But body language, mannerisms, poise and simplicity sure do.”

Coming from a girl who has generated mostly scandals during her 3-year stay in the industry, it might sound ‘strange’. But Sherlyn surprises you with her lessons, which she’s picked up the hard way. “I have made a lot of mistakes,” confesses the sultry siren, in town for the promotion of her album Dard-e-Sheryln. and will perform at Voodoo. “Professional blunders in Bollywood are ‘unforgiven’ and I have made a couple of them. I sit and ask myself what went wrong, but now I take these as lessons to move on in life.” Once bitten twice shy, Sheryln wants to play safe. “The kind of excellence that I want to achieve in my work cannot come through mediocrity. It requires a lot of dedication, dedication and madness.”

Madness, the leggy has loads of it. Wearing a diamond- studded bikini to a show validates it, doesn’t it? “I thrive on criticism,” she smiles, looking comfortable in her skin. “I begin to fear when people are sweet with me,” tells Sheryln, who cannot understand why people are out to massacre her work, Dard-e-Sherlyn, which has invited 19 cuts from the censor board and Hema Malini’s ire. “I was inspired by Hema Malini. I thought it was a virgin song and I could do something good to it,” “Comparisons between the two videos were bound to happen. People went all out to trash the video by calling it provocative. They don’t understand that it’s an expression of one’s own ‘dard.’ Okay, got it people!

Freedom of choice, we can’t really question that. So, what about her next move. “I am watching a lot of Madonna DVDs, and I would some day want to do a three-hour show like her,” says Sheryln, who also wants to go on a three-series tour in various countries. “I have to train in that first. Some dance lessons from Shiamak Davar, maybe. There are a lot of beautiful girls around, I have to really be ‘wow’ to catch the audience attention.” Don’t worry girl, your bikini will assist you in this.

At the same time, Sheryln seems to have got her due. “I play a super model in Yash Raj’s movie. I will come back to Chandigarh on September 27 for the shoot, says the ‘Outrageous’ singer. Supermodel, this must be pretty simple for her?. “I am not a supermodel. I like to be in haute couture but I don’t mind picking stuff from Linking Road, Bandra. I like to wear my stuff with a lot of sexuality.” Now that she does.

jasmine@tribunemail.com

What’s common between the queen of Bollywood, Katrina Kaif, Chotte Nawab’s ex-girlfriend Rosa Catalino or, for that matter, ace bowler, Brett Lee? Well, it’s the way they’ve endeared themselves to us Indians by speaking in our matrabhasha Hindi.

And following in the footsteps of these celebrities are a few foreign students in Chandigarh, who are making a sincere effort to learn Hindi.

Gibreel Sadak, a Ph.D student of PU from Yemen, who has been staying in Chandigarh from the past two years now, beams at the fact that he has mastered Hindi to some extent. “Before coming to India, I didn’t know Hindi at all, but then I got fond of Bollywood music and films and thus learnt a lot of it from there.” But he rues the fact that Indian universities do not offer short-term Hindi courses, which can help many foreign students to learn it.

“When I came to India I wanted to get my name enrolled for a similar course, but it was strange to find out that they are available for foreign languages like French or German but not Hindi.” He also feels that one cannot understand the culture of India unless one knows Hindi well.

A course coordinator at Alliance Francaise and a French, Benedict Poggi is enjoying her stay in Chandigarh while teaching French here. About how she began to learn Hindi, she says, “ I try conversing with my Indian friends in Hindi and whenever I commit mistakes, they rectify it by telling the correct pronounciation of words.” She is now looking forward to joining a Hindi class and work on her Hindi speaking.

Ahmed Hassan Ali, an Iraq national is staying with his family is Chandigarh, loves it when her five-year daughter, Noor sings Hindi songs. Studying in a CBSE-affiliated school; she at times enjoys playing the role of a Hindi teacher to her father. “She speaks and understands Hindi just the way her friends at school does and I have too learnt it from her.” Noor now recites Hindi poems, not to forget her perfect diction while singing Vande Mataram.

So, if these people are learning our national language with so much enthusiasm, it’s an added reason to celebrate Hindi Divas.

ashima@tribunemail.com

Singh is Kinng in India. But, Canada’s permanent resident Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar reportedly faced hurdles to see his blockbuster through in the ongoing Toronto International Film Festival. And, now it seems that Kinng’s flick isn’t going well with critics in this democratic North American nation, the reason being the entry of an out-and-out commercial movie in the film festival mostly dominated by art films. However, TIFF co-director Cameron Bailey has strongly defended his decision to invite Singh is Kinng to Toronto.

“The idea is to bring the full diversity of Indian cinema to audiences in Toronto. People here are familiar with India’s regional cinema but commercial Hindi films haven’t had the sort of exposure it deserves. It is an integral part of the Indian cinema landscape,” he said.

In fact, in the course of a party hosted by Percept Picture Company, Akshay revealed that he was keen to have Priyadarshan’s comic drama Bhool Bhulaiya included in the official Toronto film festival list last year. But, the organisers of North America’s premier film festival rejected the request, the veteran actor said.

It may be mentioned here that mainstream Mumbai cinema was totally blanked out by Toronto last year although the selection did include Rituparno Ghosh’s The Last Lear, starring Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Preity Zinta.

Significantly, the Toronto film festival has offered recompense this year by hosting two separate films involving both Akshay and Priyadarshan in its official selection although the two entries have nothing in common.

The latter is here with an offbeat Tamil-language drama, Kanchivaram, the first-ever Priyadarshan venture to make the cut for a major film festival. 

When I went to see The Last Lear, I was determined to not only like the film, but love it. To celebrate a film, directed by Rituparna Ghosh, based on Utpal Dutt’s play, Aajker Shahenshah was an act of great courage and affirmation, and I thought to myself, that finally we are going to get a film that is willing to take risks. Committed theatergoers  have always been a bit scornful of transforming hit plays into cinema, but that is a dog-in-the-manager sort of attitude,  which I certainly don’t subscribe to. In the West many plays have been translated for the stage. Where do I start— A Street Car Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and so on—- but when I try to jog my memory about which regional plays from India have been translated in cinematic terms, I can only think of Vijay Tendulkar’s Ghashiram Kotwal, Mohan Rakesh’s Adhe Adhure,  and a few others. But that too was done  more as a cinematic version of a play, rather than a text that could be interpreted for the cinematic language. Keeping all this in mind, it became even more special for me as the film was connected with nostalgia. When I, as a student of the National School of Drama in 1975 in Delhi, watched, all agog, as Utpal Dutt strode the stage mouthing-over-the-top rhetoric’s in a style that was reminiscent of classical melodrama tempered with some old-fashioned theatrics.

This film is perfectly amiable as a genre crossing film. Despite an untidy construction, with a story that meanders on and on, until you find yourself saying: ‘Hey, what’s happening’.

The Last Lear choreographs the reinvention of an ageing actor Harry ( Amitabh Bachchan), who lives in a dimly-lit house, with his companion Vandana (Shefali Shah),  where  mid-morning chiaroscuros chase each other, and old tin cans and rusty bells, rustle in the wind. He is pulled out of his creative isolation by Sid (Arjun Rampal) an edgy, new-age filmmaker, who wants to cast him as a clown in his film titled The Mask. After some drunkard ribaldry, Harry agrees to star in his film and his friendship with the director and his lead actor Preity Zinta is marked by a flamboyant frisson that is palpable.

Delivering  soliloquies, spewing hell’s fire and brimstone, and generally hamming Shakespeare, Bachchan commands attention, even when the film collapses due to its rambling narrative, that loops, slopes, loses its way, and gets knotted up in the process.
 The character of Harry, has been delineated with great detail – and the vodka-drinking actor, watches the world through the mullion bars of his window, chastising strangers who dare to pee on the walls of his house. His director Sid (Rampal) in an attempt to woo him, fits his home with a CVV camera —a bit eerier  like the rear window sort of flick. But the sheer humour of it, takes away from the bizarreness. The film is dotted with moments of sheer brilliance, especially when the director and the actor in their new-found companionship  play guessing games about the identity of the characters that whirl past  Harry’s  house. Another poignant moment is created when Harry grovels and snivels before his director Sid, to allow him to do his own stunts for the film.

The thing I found difficult to comprehend was  its mishmash of feminist rambling by the three female protagonists—Shefali  Shah, Preity Zinta, and Divya Dutta, who, despite certain pulls and tensions in the beginning, get conjoined together in a chain of ‘feminine bonding’. The three protagonists, over endless cups of tea, cold food and smoke rings share their inner-most secrets and fears, but despite their beauty, there seems no resonance of an inner life behind their dark antimony lined eyes  or even any sign of intelligence. For heavens sake, you say to yourself, these are women who represent modernity, the working women, the women who take bold decisions about their life, not some lovesick wuss!   As for the end, it is so schmaltzy that you want to cringe—a film that had all potential to be great, dissolves into a heap, as the story becomes too self-regarding, and the ending with its muddled signs, strains with no credibility.

He is the new voice of Punjab, who is singing his way to glory. Vipul Mehta, participant of Voice Of India-2, is apna Punjabi munda from Amritsar. In Mumbai from past three months the boy is surviving competition and is trying to make his mark. A class XII student like others he too dreams to make it to playback singing once he succeeds in this competition.

“My father is a jeweller and he is my biggest support in the family,” says Vipul. Ask him does he come from a family that eats and sleeps music and pat comes the reply, “We have a musical family. My sister is a kathak dancer and father wanted to become a playback singer, but he had to join the family business, so could not fulfill his dream. So, today I am here living the life he wanted to.”

Well, how is our boy liking it at VOI, “It is a golden period of my life and a platform that will give me wings to fly.” And from here where does he go? “First I have to complete my class XII and I also dream of doing my MBA. But then this show is a stepping stone to success.” What about some training in music, “I am learning classical music from last 10-11 years. And I do riyaz for almost 2 hours daily.”

On his choice of music he says, “Music is the base of my life and I like classical and light western music.”

Last but not the least, we ask him do these reality music shows take the participants anywhere and he says, “They are helpful, as they first of all give you a platform, stardom and recognizition that you cant achieve as a struggler.”

Jigyasa Kapoor Chimra

Two years after being paired together in Jaan E Mann, Salman Khan and Preity Zinta would be seen together again in Heroes. Releasing this Diwali a trade insider comments, “Yes, Heroes has Salman and Preity coming together as a special attraction but not much should be read about their presence in Heroes. They play cameos in the film and are a part of one of the many segments in Heroes. In the movie we have an entire Sunny Deol-Bobby Deol track and also the one where Mithun and Dino come together. The film basically tells the journey of two youngsters (Sohail Khan and Vatsal Seth) as they come across all these ‘real heroes’.’’

However, even though Salman and Preity aren’t seen throughout the length of the film, the couple does spell success, as witnessed from the films they have done in the past, which have gone on to be box office successes.

Directed by Samir Karnik, Heroes would be Salman Khan’s second film in one month itself. A fortnight earlier, on October 10, Salman would also be seen in a special appearance in Hello. —ANI, PTI

For someone who just wanted to be ‘famous’ since a very young age and would practice signing autographs when in Class II or III, Vansh Bharadwaj has certainly made his dream a reality. Back in the city, after attending the Toronto International Film Festival, where his film Heaven on Earth was screened, he shares his experiences with us.

For the uninitiated, Vansh is from the city, of the city and by the city! Yes literally. As he likes to say, “ I was born and brought up in Chandigarh and did my graduation from Government College, Sector-11.” But the guy had other plans before acting happened to him. He says, “I wanted to be a cricketer first, basically, someone famous. Then all of a sudden, I developed a passion for theatre.” He adds, “During my college days, I was just an amateur actor and would participate in all the youth fests.” Not surprisingly, he went on to do his Master’s in theatre from Panjab University. His affair with theatre had just begun. For, he formed a company named Holy Theatre and shares a strong professional relationship with eminent theatre personality from the city, Neelam Mansingh.

Coming back to the film, how did he get the role? He says, “That too is a story in itself.” We are eager to listen. “I was doing a play titled Nagmandala written by Girish Karnad at the National School of Drama (NSD) festival, and there Deepa Mehta came to see the play. She promised to work with me someday. In this industry those are words said much more often than fulfilled.” But she kept her promise and the rest, as they say, is history.

We want to know more about the movie. He willingly obliges, “The movie is about an immigrant family in Canada and it is about relationship between husband and wife. Preity Zinta plays my wife.” Dream debut for sure, but any fear of being typecast in offbeat cinema? He humbly adds, “No, not at all. I just want to do meaningful cinema and I would have any day prefereed a debut with Deepa Mehta than anyone else.” And like a true theatre person acting is just that for him, be it in front of the camera, on stage or the street.

And what about the city? He clears, “I am still very much based here. And love it like no other place. It’s beautiful, calm and peaceful.”

We wanna see more of him in future. What’s in store? He says, “I have a few theatre and other projects. And I really don’t plan anything.” With such an impressive portfolio, need he? 

Imagine steering yourself into a fashion garage. That’s right folks! A style refurbishing store that not only promises to overhaul your looks but has a different look itself.

A Sector 10 ‘garage’ is the first link of a strong chain of 10 stores that are all set to turn around the wheels of design and decor. The concept is moving on the national highway. “The final destination is yet undisclosed, but the next stop is Zirakpur, followed by the national capital of fashion — Delhi ,” says its general manager Karan Sharma.

What makes the stores different from so many fashion mini-malls in vogue among the teenyboppers? Is it the stuff, the price or the décor?

Well, it’s the décor that’s making all the difference. Fashioned to give a car-port look, metal is in abundance. Pillars welded out of sheets, a road-roller just adjoining the door, a corridor with metal flooring creaking under your weight, and the fumes of wet paint settling on untreated jagged iron, give you little indication of the starkness of the fix-it shop you are about to encounter.

The floor inside is nothing but a metalled road leading you to style. Lined with cat-eye reflectors and marked with white paint in the middle, it takes you to a new world. As a speed-breaker right in the middle of the road within makes you stop in your tracks, you realise the boys’ stuff is on one side, and those of girls on the other.

Oh yes, you have apparel on hangers, but these are attached to wheel rims with shock-absorbers. Denims tumbling out of metal drums, white bike chains and even helmets on the shelves adding a the touch of ruggedness. To top it all, you have posters with jokes guys strictly share among themselves I the SMS circuit.

You would expect the girls’ section to be a bit more feminine. But no, it’s not. The stuff is for iron maidens, who take the toughness of life in their stride as it comes. “If you wish to drive SUVs, you gotta buy the stuff in that style,” seems to be the motto.

And then you have a console waiting for the in-house disc jockey to mix the music with. Well, if the throbbing music is too loud, it only means you are too old. But worry not, the hard metal stools are there for you to sit and watch the looks repair work. So, guys and dolls, this surely seems a drive to a garage.

Maspar home fashion, a brand known for furnishing, brings its latest collection of coordinated bed linen.

Moulin Rouge: Dark tones of blue, green, grey; brown, gold, pumped maroon and purple are beautifully punctuated in the collection. The range comprises of bed linens, duvet, bedspreads, cushion covers, floor cushions, table linen, napkins, bolsters etc. Woven in viscose and cotton the range is a perfect gift item for the festive season.

Placid Beauty: Cotton based this series include shades in lilac, orange, poppy red, peach, cream and Olivia.

Enchanting Nature: The collection carries the essence of flowers, vines, cascading water and lustrous green spaces. With colours in red ginger, silk green, river blue, thyme, wood brown, zen, thai green and yellow green, each piece takes inspiration from nature.

Caravan: The collection includes prints, woven, embroideries and different cotton fabrics in intricate patterns and textures. Designed for the living rooms, the colours in this collection are bright and trendy and the fabric’s cotton.

Oracle: Designed in a medley of cool, restful colours, this has the palest of lilacs intertwined with soothing greens, creams and beiges. 

TAROT TALK
What the cards say today...
P. KHURRANA

ARIES: You draw Nine of Wands, which puts you through a touching and transforming personal experience. Try your patience; as you will be in short supply on Wednesday. Lucky colour: Peach. Tip of the week: Don’t waste an opportunity by being rash.

TAURUS: The Prince of Wands rides in his flaming chariot of gold to instigate dynamic changes. Keep home and work separate. Journalists, teachers, advocates, models and cine stars will be in the limelight. You can expect a change in career. Lucky colour: Royal blue. Tip: Feel free to change your mind.

GEMINI: You draw Four of Swords. Sorting out practical and money matter is not quite your forte. Take the lead at work and propose overdue changes. Professionals may have to go slow, or they may incur losses. Tip: A dissatisfactory phase will need gentle handling. Lucky colour: Red.

CANCER: The Sun brings change. Students appearing for any tests or interviews need to pay more attention to their studies. There seem to be great distraction with a person of the opposite sex. Safeguard your interests by being honest. Lucky Colour: Soft blue. Tip: Do not refuse offers without seeking the advice from someone else.

LEO: The Princes Of Cups offer you an opportunity to make new beginnings. You’ll succeed in convincing even those who are most stubbornly opposed to your ideas. Love and friendship are a major support. Lucky Colour: Brick red. Tip: At work, a setback would be followed by a rapid advance.

VIRGO: Your card The Princess of Cups maintains clarity and direction in complicated work situations. If you are looking at future plans, then it could be time to think the unthinkable. Turn your attention to exercise and diet. Lucky colour: Cherry. Tip: Arrogance and pride will not be rewarded.

LIBRA: The Knight of Swords instigates you to be active and clever. Visit friends or relatives. You can make money if you’re willing to push your ideas on those in a position to support your efforts. Lucky Colour: White Tip: Beware of depleting your energy or resources on others.

SCORPIO: The Emperor gets you in touch with your leadership qualities. You will be alert, clear and quick, enabling you to find immediate solutions to the problems. An Aries person is supportive. Lucky Colour: Yellow. Tip: Watch your action at work and polish your public relation skills.

SAGITTARIUS: Six of Cups inspire you to climb new heights and actualise creative ideas. You will receive support and co-operation by being gentle and generous. Build contacts with people who share your interests. Lucky colour: Royal blue. Tip: Take thing one at a time.

CAPRICORN: Two of Pentacles showers blessing on lovers. Your destiny may well be handed to you and it may help you to make your dreams come true. Focus on yoga and exercise. Lucky colour: Black. Tip: Don’t accept situations you dislike.

AQUARIUS: The Temperance inspires you to climb new heights and actulise creative ideas. A small sum spent now will allow you to make big profits later. Surprises are on the cards on Thursday. Lucky colour: Ebony. Tip: Take one step at a time.

PISCES: Three of Wands reveals now is the time to put your plans into action, particularly when it comes to legal and property matters. Brilliant links between Venus and Moon indicates that your wishes will come true. Tip: Focus on your dream project. Lucky colour: Cream.