Writer on call
The author of One Night @ Call Centre Chetan Bhagat is himself on call these days. To promote the upcoming flick Hello, which is based on his book. Here, he talks of the relevance of its theme even today
Parbina Rashid

It's no secret that Chetan Bhagat loves writing. But these days, things are a little different with him. More than writing, he is traveling around meeting people, talking about Hello and doing the needful as the film is nearing the D-day (the film based on his book is slated for an October 10 release). But then, he is not complaining. He talks about his anticipation and euphoria in a telephonic interview. Excerpts:

Euphoria

It's a different experience altogether. We have been working hard on this project for the past two years and now I am anxious to see the final result. The fact that this novel is one of the most contemporary ones to be made into a film, is adding to our excitement. So many people have read and re-read my book, there are bound to be strong reactions from readers and viewers. In fact, my first book Five Point Something is also being made into a film, butit is in the preliminary stage.

Relevance for Gen Y

Well, the book was published in 2005, but I think it is relevant still as no film has been made on the subject. Anyway, the focus is more on the love story with a call centre as the backdrop. We wanted to make it a fun film, told in a compact manner because the duration of the film is only two hours.

Adaptaion

As I have done the script not much have changed except for the translation and addition of a few song and dance sequences.

Creative liberty

Since the two media are totally different, there are bound to be some changes. But it should come with the author's approval and should be done without losing the essence of thew text. It's like sending your daughter to a beauty parlour on her wedding day. Glamourisation is okay as long as no plastic surgery is involved.

Set moments

Initially, I did not visit the sets. But when I did, I quite enjoyed it. In fact, I found out the stars were more interested in meting me than I was in meeting them. It was quite a high.

Next project

Atul and I are discussing something. Let's see how it materialises. 

HELLO, DIRECTOR
Parbina Rashid

Enough has been said and written about call centres to make us all aware of what happens at out there after the sun goes down. What we did not learn from our youngsters working in such centres, Chetan Bhagat's One Night @ Call Centre filled in the gaps - the work hassles, stress, outings, parties and blossoming romances.

So, why are we bringing it up once again, you may ask. Well, we do have a reason. Or, rather, we are offered one by actor-turned-director Atul Agnihotri who these days is bombarding us with the promos of his forthcoming film Hello, based on Bhagat's book.

Atul, as it turns out, read the book three years ago, but the theme stuck in his mind. "The book is rich in its content and have all the ingredients for a meaningful and entertaining film," says Atul, who had turned director with Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha. Well, though it's been a couple of years since the book hit bookshelves, Atul feels the approach, the feel of the call centre culture to the subject still holds a fresh appeal.

"My father-in-law Salim Khan once told me, 'Don't go by handwriting, go by the content of a story and when I read Chetan's book I remembered his advice, because I found the book rich on both counts, its contents and even the frills," says Atul, busy giving the final touches to the film. It has a star cast like Sharman Joshi, Sohail Khan, Ishaa Koppikar, Amrita Arora, Gul Panag, Sharat Saxena and Dalip Tahil with Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif making guest appearance.

Atul roped in Chetan to do the script. "Except for adding songs and music, nothing much has been changed from the original story," says Atul. What about the relevance of the theme in today's day and time, we wonder aloud. "It is still quite relevant because so many youngster endorses the content of the book," says Atul. And to get his fact right Atul went along with of his cousin who works at a Mumbai-based call centre. "I advised my star cast to visit call centres. I even made a set with all equipments and let them soak in the feeling for three consecutive days before we actually start shooting," he informs. Well, making the film was a fun experience, which hopefully will be reflected in the film. After all it is not an easy thing to meet up with people's expectation, while dealing with such a popular book. And we get to know how difficult it is as we interact with our own call centre cult.

Benu Walia, Neha Beri and Isha, working in IBM-Daksh, are all excited about the film. "The book has captured the true essence of call centre culture and give out a message of hope without being too heavy on its content. We expect the same from the film," they chorus. But guess what gives these youngsters the ultimate kick - to see Salman Khan Sharman Joshi, Sohail Khan, Amrita Arora and Katrina Kaif as characters, which they are living. Well, so much for euphoria! 

Picks & 
piques
Watchable
Benegal, unparalleled
The pasha of parallel cinema Shyam Benegal's foray into the comic genre is full of sparkle
Mona

IN Bollywood, it's easy to get tagged. That's why even the most talented in the arena are eager to shake off label. This time, it's the moghul of 'meaningful' cinema Shyam Benegal, who tries to tickle the funny bone with Welcome to Sajjanpur. And indeed, the 'serious' filmmaker's splash into comedy makes waves.

Welcome to… is a rural tale set in rustic India. The plot revolves around a fictitious north Indian hamlet Sajjanpur, which is trying to maintain a balance between modernity and superstition.

Mahadev (Shreyas Talpade) is a jobless postgraduate who aspires to be a novelist but ends up scribbling postcards for the illiterate villagers. His letter-writing shop under a banyan tree, right in front of the post office, becomes a sanctum sanctorum, visited by all and sundry.

Mahadev's forceful writing gives him a great deal of power, which, at times, he uses to manipulate people and situations, especially when it comes to his love interest Kamla (Amrita Rao), a wife, longing for her husband, who is in Mumbai to eke out a living. Among his other clients are: Ram Singh (Yashpal Sharma) a local political goon, Munni Bai, a eunuch (Ravi Jhankal) who tries to challenge the goon's authority by contesting against his wife in elections, a compounder (Ravi Kisen) in love with a bal vidhwa (Rageshwari Sachdev) and a paranoid mother Ila Arun who wants to marry off her daughter played by Divya Dutta to a kukur (dog) to ward off amangal that her star are bound to bring.

Welcome… works because it's grounded in reality. Benegal shows he is no nerd when it comes to handling a different genre. In fact, the satire stands out due to its tongue-in-cheek treatment. The humour originates from life situations. Also, note subtle comments on a range of social issues from widow remarriage, caste system, politics to religious superstition.

The screenplay by Ashok Mishra is refreshing, with his desi dialogues being another high point. The dialect lends a perfect rustic flavour to the characters, though it is a bit difficult to grasp initially.

Benegal makes the most of his talented cast. He is in love with his characters, who mouth memorable lines even while doing cameos. Shreyas simply shines with his comic touch. The driving force of the film, he is impeccable in his act. Note the way he portrays the 'grey shades', especially while interacting with Kamla, who plays a naïve village girl with ease. Ila Arun as a weepy superstitious mother is outstanding. The scene where she is running after her daughter with a 'dog groom' tightly clutched under her arms is hilarious. Ravi Jhankal and Yashpal Sharma deliver a fine performance as eunuch and goon, respectively, while Ravi Kisen, Rageshwari and Divya Dutta are good.

Among the minor hiccups are songs that could have been omitted or better choreographed. Also the music is average.

Overall, Benegal's take on rural India is not only entertaining but endearing too. Welcome to…is definitely worth a watch. 

Stock of hope
Radhika Bhirani

POVERTY, prostitution, paedophilia, corruption---India's darker side has always attracted filmmakers for a worthy subject but with Saas, Bahu Aur Sensex, director Shona Urvashi has attempted otherwise.

"I have seen so many films portraying the negative aspects in India, so I have tried to show the positive side. My film shows who we are today and how the social, economic and political changes in our country have affected our lives. It is a heart-warming subject," said Urvashi about the movie.

The film is set against the backdrop of the share market, masala and kitty parties of modern day women living in Mumbai. It has a spicy dose of drama, comedy and emotion.

"Stock market and sensex affect everyone in the country. I wanted to bring this subject forward. For this, I met a lot of stockbrokers and interviewed them about what they thought of the Indian stock market," tells Urvashi.

Saas..is US-based film distribution company Warner Brothers' first Indian venture. The narrative unfolds with Nitya Sen (Tanushree Dutta), a young woman who has to abandon her ambition of studying MBA in the US due to her parents' divorce. Her mother Vinita Sen (Kirron Kher) moves to Mumbai after the separation.

Keen to start a new life Vinita adapts a new lifestyle - she starts going to kitty parties and takes a plunge into the volatile world of stock markets with the help of a stockbroker, Firoz Sethna (Farouque Shaikh).

Nitya starts working at a call centre where she seeks solace in the company of Ritesh (Ankur Khanna) who is already dating Kirti (Masumeh Makhija), a middle class girl who dreams of marrying billionaire Yash Modi (Sudhanshu Pandey). Nitya and Ritesh work in Yash's call centre.

The film offers an insight into various situations and how people cope with the complexities that they face everyday. It is a heady mix of humour and drama.

"This is not a quintessential Bollywood film and has no central character. There are several tracks to it," the director said. — IANS

A hair spa gets to the root of the problem 
Hair we go
Manpriya Khurana

SPA - timulating, sensual and serene. Any practical definition of a spa would invariably include the above objectives. Ask addicts and they would like to add, the following too - heavenly, intoxicating and blissful. While body spas are a been there done that phenomenon and face spas hardly any different, it's the hair spas that have been the toast of the season for quite sometime now and a hit with the city residents if experts are to be believed. Here we get all you wanted to know about them. Go through this A to Z of hair spas.

No it's not deep conditioning, neither in its effects nor in the procedure. Mundanely, described as a procedure through which the texture of your mane improves by three-sixty degree. As Praveen Dewan, the operations head, at Headmaster's-8, says, "Hair spa is not just relaxation but treatment for your hair. And totally different from deep conditioning, in which the effects are lost almost as soon as you take a wash." Also described, it is a forty minutes to one hour procedure through which the hair cuticles are worked on. Michael Roch, manager at Pour Quoi, Taj-17, says, "In this we smoothen down hair through massage by increasing blood circulation. And then there's emulsification of hair, steam if required followed by normal wash." And what are its effects? Says Praveen Dewan of Headmaster’s-8, "Almost ninety per cent of scalp problem, from dandruff to dryness to hair fall can be solved through hair spas." And, according to him, the immediate and visible results can be seen in the sheen and softness that accompanies hair.

And with people ready to swear by its effects, no wonder it's popular in the tricity. As Reet Madan, a B.Com student from the city says, "I have almost got addicted to hair spas. The immediate and most visible effect is the sheen and the texture. " And its popularity is not restricted to just teeny boppers. The trend is catching on in all age groups.

"About fifteen to twenty customers a day approach us for hair spa treatments," says Praveen. While fifty plus is the number that Michael pegs as their monthly hair spa package sales. And if they all are to be believed, the craze is more than a fashion fad and is here to stay.

What are the kinds available? Says Bijenti Mala, manager, Vidya Tikari-10, "We provide three kinds of hair spas, differing from vitalizing to nourishing to smoothening, depending on the structure of your hair." She adds, "Apart from this, there are two kinds of ampules, hydrating and diluting." Quite technical. Simplifies Michael, "We give two kinds of hair spa, Powerdose and the other one called as Renuc. They basically differ in their intensity and the hair structure for which they are to be used." And frequency of one to two sittings a month is recommended. And how harmful are they supposed to be? If they all are to be believed, 'not at all' is the word. We love that. In fact, we love any new hair fashion, fad, trend, treatment, or whatever. Aren't they the biggest obsession and splurge. And if it is harmless? Well, too good, too true. Anything that makes the untamed mane look 'well-behaved' is worth more than a try.

lifestyle@tribunemail.com

Drive to walk
Escalating fuel prices are burning holes in many pockets. Still, some residents drive down for a trot in the park, says Saurabh Malik 

SHE burns more than just calories in the mornings.

For blossoming among the balsams during her kilometer-long round of the Fragrance Garden-36, she blows up something like a hundred bucks on the petrol, daily.

That's right, fellows! Radhika Sharma drives to walk. She lives just a kilometer away in Sector 35, but makes it a point to drive her way to walk every day before sunrise. Even if the enhanced fuel prices burn holes in her pocket, the undergrad is just not bothered about it.

And she is not the only one. Go to the Leisure Valley-10, Bougainvillea Garden-3 or even the Sukhna Lake in the mornings, or in the evenings. And you see cars and more cars in the parking lots, and all along the roadside.

Talk to the visitors and you find so many of them live in the vicinity - some of them stay at a distance less than they walk in the green belts, or the lake.

Take for instance Asit Verma's case. The young businessman is putting up in a palatial bungalow less than half a kilometer away from the lake. But still he places himself in the driver's seat for trotting on the 1.3 kilometer-long track at the lake.

His neighbour too comes to the lake, but they drive down in separate vehicles. "Mornings are for introspection and not discussions" - this is how Verma explains his action of driving, away from car-pool system.

Agreed fellows! It's all too confusing. If walking is the destination, why steer for it? Why not simply walk all the way to the garden; and just come back comfortably without fuelling simmering discontentment your dad's already experiencing due to rising inflation?

Ask Radhika and comes the reply: Tashan!

Adjusting the cheerful floral scarf around her beauteous neck, she removes the headphones before smiling: "The idea of walking to the garden is simply repulsive. You see, even for exercising, you need the right kind of environment."

As she waves at two of her friends, all decked up in capris and short tops, you understand exactly what she means.

Well fellows, Sanjeev Sharma, a regular at the Fragrance Garden, has a suggestion for all you fitness freaks burning fuel to exhaust calories. "If you wish to work out in the pristine environs of a garden or the lake, cycling is just not a bad option. You paddle your way to health, without causing early morning pollution; and still get the satisfaction of taking a round of your favourite haunt," he asserts.

Guys, listen to him! He makes sense. With swelling petroleum prices promising to cause more and more heart-burn, he is offering a solution that will help you tide over your monthly pocket money crisis. All the best! 

Showing...
Kantha kala

HAND craft at its traditional best.Yes, that's what can be said of the exhibits at a exhibition of Bengali saris brought to the city's Banga Bhavan, Sector 35, by Stree Concepts.

The organisers, having come all the way from Mumbai and Kolkata's Santi Niketan, sure have got along with them a slice of culture from these parts of India.

So, what you get is a beautiful display of saris, kurtis and salwar suits in fabrics like tussar, silk and cotton. All these are further adorned with hand embroidery, block printing, hand painting. The feast for the womenfolk does not end there. There's Bhagalpuri silk, kantha saris in silk (an exclusive handcraft of West Bengal), hand painted fabrics in tussar and silk. There're also kurtis and salwar suits. While kurtis are priced from Rs900 to Rs1240, suits range around Rs 2500. The saris can be had anywhere from Rs1000 to 7000. One more thing, as the organiser Indira, adds, "All the saris are handmade. No machine work has been used." Tempted? Go check it out. On till September 21. — TNS

Matka chowk
Living hi-tech
Sreedhara Bhasin

THE entire country seems to have turned high-tech. Chandigarh - more so. We have to thank the telecommunication industry, largely for the recent explosion. It is now hard to find anyone in Chandigarh who is not brandishing a cellphone. The other day, I observed our kudawalla holding his new Nokia handset close to his ear - while he hauled up kuda from the landing. He was administering a commanding rebuke to a family-member who apparently had overspent on an item he considered unnecessary.

Cell phones have surely made lives of drivers in the city difficult. There is no place to hide anymore. The mistress calls while he is running errands and checks on his whereabouts and adds to his list of to-dos. The other day, I found a driver in the government nursery struggling with his narration of some saplings. His description of the leaf-structure was surely not satisfying the lady on the other end. As her agitated voice came cackling, the driver looked increasingly downtrodden and close to tears.

We have now devised this beautiful system where the staff goes shopping and calls the mistress - who then talks to the shop-owner and hammers him for better bargains, fresher items and better choices. This is truly an example of Business Process Re-engineering - layers of human help all connected via networking.

I was caught in a huge thunderstorm the other day. I ran into the nearest building which was a small mandir although a beautiful one. The place was spotlessly clean and the idols of Radha-Krishna were breathtakingly beautiful. As I looked around - I was greeted by a panditji. He was sitting on the floor in a corner - in front of him reposed his laptop on a white flat takia. I went across and greeted him and looked at the screen - he was sending e-mail using a wireless internet connection. If Nirupa Roy was still alive and acting (she would of course be indigent and maybe blind in that movie) she would say "Bhagwanke ghar me kya nahi hain?" instead of "Bhagwanke gharme der hai, andher nahi."

A Verka boothwalla made me smile the other day. I spotted an industrial quality UPS in his tiny shack. He did not want to miss his favourite serial on TV during power outage. And I thought people bought those to continue critical business transactions!

I was amazed the last time I talked to my mother's old maid - her speech was dotted with multiple English words - all verging on technology - cable fault, network, recharge, load shedding, computer, dish, pollution - a wonderful sampling of how in every life some technology has fallen.

LONE TICKET
You want to go for a flick or to a pub. But your girlie gang or guy don’t have the same day off as you. So, you go solo, as these city women headed on ‘single out’ street .Jasmine Singh

Dilpreet, 26, works for a city-based bank, and she's been looking forward to a good weekend. Maybe watching a movie, shopping or driving around the city. But it seems it won't be possible. All her friends are occupied, which means either she has to spend the weekend alone or try convincing at least one friend to accompany her. And she decides, enough of begging for company. “I can enjoy on my own as well.” She picks her bag, drives to a multiplex, gets a ticket for a movie and there she is…inside the hall, munching popcorn, sipping cola, that too all alone. “Hey, I think I quite enjoyed being alone. I should be doing this more often. I am not dependent on anyone for my happiness,” Dilpreet tells herself. So, welcome, all you girlies, to a world of solo entertainment. And now you don't have to make frantic calls to friends to meet up on weekends or wait for your man to chalk out a plan for you. You can enjoy on your own, the way you do with friends. Girls in the city have taken to 'solo entertainment' pretty seriously and you can find them indulging themselves big time.

Neesha Sharma, who works for a call centre in Manimajra, has been enjoying on her own for sometime now, says, "I have a huge gang of friends, but not all have a day off on the same day. It used to upset me a lot." Adds Neesha, who has now found a company in her own self, "Now, I am not dependent on friends or family for enjoyment." Neesha has found ways to entertain herself. "Movie, a long drive till Dharampur, shopping, eating out at some nice hotel. I do all this all on my own, without feeling the need to seek company," she says.

Ditto for Pratiksha Suri and Taranjyot Singh, bank employees from Sector-8. Firstly, they have very little time to freak out, and when they do have they are at their friends’ mercy to accompany them. Chips in Taranjyot, "Now I don't give a damn. If I have to go out then I don't care. In fact, I have started going for parties alone." Taranjyot says that she used to feel out of place, but now she’s pretty comfortable with it. "I see more and more girls going out alone."Says Pratiskha, "Everyone is busy these days, they don't have time. And, you can't force anyone to tag along ." She adds with a smile, "You wouldn't believe but I have been watching all the movies alone. And you bet, it is so much fun."

Ek akela shehar main can be so much fun, but it tends to invite inquisitive glances. Says Meenakshi Sharma, a student from GCG-11, "The other day, I went to have coffee. Sitting next to me was a pretty decent family and they were giving such confused and dirty looks that I felt like crying." People in the city have to get used to the idea that entertainment does not mean 'crowd'. It can be done alone and can be so much fun!

jasmine@tribunemail.com