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Papersmiths, ahoy
"Paper bags sure are eco-friendly, and help us go the green way to preserve our natural resources," says Liza Tandon, who runs the NGO Choti si Asha. Into manufacturing paper and cloth bags she says, "At Choti si Asha, we have employed street children and it's these kids who make paper, jute and cloth bags." Informing us about the designs, she says, "When it comes to plain brown or newspaper bags, there is no particular design that we have. It just comes with a jute rope and the shape varies as per need. But when we make jute and cloth bags we have varied designs and make use of patch work, sequin work and little embroidery here and there." Ask her about the sales and she says, "So far, we haven't been manufacturing in bulk as we didn't have manpower, but whatever we produced was being bought by Infosys. The company buys our bag and puts them on display for its employees, thus encouraging them to go the green way." Chappai, a one-year-old venture of Ajanta prints that makes paper bags, is happy with the Administration's decision. Its partner, Amarpreet Singh, says, "We've been printing paper bags for years now and they are available in varied shapes and designs. Though we specialize in this, only a few retail agencies were buying paper bags from us till now." Ask him about the recycling process and he says, "We get the recycling done from Sonepat and later fabricate the bags here, as per the clients needs." What about demand and supply? "It's not much right now as people are still skeptical about the strictness with which the ban will be implemented. But yes, enquiries are on the rise." "We used to make paper bags but we discontinued as nobody bought them," says Zulfikar Khan of Theatre Age. Offering some trendy variety in paper bags, Salil Bindra from Satyadeep set printers in Industrial Area-Chandigarh, says, "We are into manufacturing duplex coat paper bags and hot card paper bags. Laminated with b.o.p film paper, this variety is a little more trendy and expensive than the brown paper bags. " On the much-talked ban he says, "As yet, there is no rush for getting paper bags printed." jigyasachimra@tribunemail.com
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Khadi repackaged
It is a big brand now. So, the traditional browns are out and the colours that render khadi a fresh look are reds, oranges, greens and yellows. With embroidery and patchwork on them, it is popular among youngsters as well. The brand is now 'designer khadi.' "What makes these kurtas popular is their fabric quality which does not shrink at all unlike other cotton fabrics," avers Ram Gopal, store manager, Khadi-17. If accessories are indispensable for your style statement then go for the embroidered khadi bags with a trendy look and Bollywood too deserves a mention here. "Khadi jholas became a rage after Preity Zinta flaunted them in the movie Lakshya and they still find buyers," he adds. Men's accessories in khadi too are becoming a rage and the hottest pick are ties in silk. Home accessories
Accessories like bed sheets, cushions and pillow covers are hand woven by the women in the rural areas, it is quite natural to see the ethnic touch. Embroidered with bright coloured threads and use of mirror and stonework rather render them a regal look. Makeover magic
Among the swanky showrooms of Sector 17 that display international brands, it may take you a few seconds to take note of Khadi Ashram. It wears a new look as also its collection. "Khadi is back and this time it is the youngsters who are vouching for it. The demand is so much that we are expecting our annual sales to be of at least Rs 2 crore," says Ram Gopal. Not to forget the Fab India, known for its designer kurtas and suits, which have also popularised khadi. "Emphasis is being laid on the design of costumes to make it cater to the youth as well. A lot of contemporary designs have come in" avers Kalpana Ghai, store manager, Fab
India-9. ashima@tribunemail.com |
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Shadow Zone
Abhishek Bachchan, who is all geared up for the release of Drona this week, says he doesn't mind being overshadowed by his wife Aishwarya
Rai. At this year's Cannes Film Festival attended by him and his wife, Abhishek was repeatedly asked how it felt to be overshadowed by his wife. "Although the intention behind such questions is obviously not honourable, I don't get rattled at all. It's a pleasure to be overshadowed by the most beautiful woman in the world. I had a ball doing the Unforgettable concerts with Aishwarya," Abhishek said. After Guru, the actor is teaming up with his wife once again for Mani Ratnam's next film. "I know I'll have a great time shooting Mani Ratnam's film with her. Right now, I'm looking forward to her return from Brazil," he said. Aishwayra was in Brazil shooting for Shankar's Robot. Abhishek said he was looking forward to Aishwarya's presence at the premiere of Drona. "It sounds very romantic to say my wife is flying down especially to be at my film's premiere. But sadly, it is not true. Her schedule for Shankar's Robot was supposed to wrap up a week before the premiere, and it did. So, she was going to be in Mumbai for the Drona premiere anyway.” But the perfect husband in the making says, “she'd have come back to Mumbai for the occasion from any part of the world even if she was shooting." Aishwarya was recently in Paris to shoot the latest L'Oreal ad. Both her in-laws, Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan, were also there, but they couldn't meet her. "Yes, they were there. Unfortunately ma and pa left a day before Aishwarya arrived in Paris. Pa had to be back to shoot a television programme to promote the Unforgettable concerts in India." About the scheduling of the concert, he added,"The Unforgettable concerts are now going to be staged in India, beginning with Mumbai. We're in the process of working out the venues and dates. There'll be more time for all this once Drona is released,"said Abhishek. Directed by Goldie Behl, Drona also stars Priyanka Chopra and Kay Kay Menon. |
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Koffee break Director Sanjay Gadhvi started off his film career as a second unit director in Pathhar Ke Phool (1991). Later he directed Tere Liye (2000), Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai (2002), Dhoom (2004) and Dhoom- 2 (2006). Back on the scene, he is in the news again for his new movie Kidnap. Out of the Yash Raj camp, he is now being hailed as the harbinger of alternative yet mainstream cinema. Confident about his latest flick , which hits the theatres this Thursday, Sanjay talks of his expectations from it. How do you feel on the eve of Kidnap's release? Great. I am excited about it because it is entirely different from Dhoom and Dhoom-II. We have done our bit and now it's for the audience to judge. How did Kidnap happen? Kidnap was a film I had planned in 2002, but due to Sanjay Dutt's dates problem the film was set aside. How was it directing Sanjay Dutt? It was a delight to work with Sanjay Dutt. What is Kidnap all about? It is a fast paced thriller, which explores human bonds. It is about father-daughter, husband-wife and boy-man relationship. How would you rate Imran Khan's as an actor? Imran is a good guy. Good to look at, he is a promising actor with a bright future. —Dharam Pal
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Directing not Nandita's cup of tea
Versatile actress Nandita Das' directorial debut Firaaq has already received rave reviews at different film festivals across the globe, but she says making a movie was the 'worst challenge' for her. She now wants to go back to acting.
"Directing a film has been the worst challenge for me. The whole project took me around two years to write and conceptualise. In fact, I was so busy that last year almost didn't exist for me. Making a film involves a lot of things — pre-production, dubbing, post-production, etc," Nandita said. Nandita, who has won several awards for her acting, has no plan to go behind the camera again too soon and is looking forward to getting back to acting. "I think it (direction) is so engaging that I won't like to do it sooner. I'll like to get back to acting. I have always been inclined towards acting. Also I'll also get back to my human rights advocacy that has taken a backseat," she said. Produced by Percept Picture Company (PPC), Firaaq is based on the 2002 Godhra riots in Gujarat and stars Paresh Rawal, Naseeruddin Shah, Tisca Chopra, Deepti Naval, Raghuvir Yadav, Sanjay Suri and child actor Shehmat Khan. Having been screened at the Telluride Film Festival (TFF) in the US and at the 33rd Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in the Contemporary World Cinema Premiere category, Firaaq is also competing in the Asia Pacific Screen Awards to be held this November in Queensland, Australia. The film will be shown at the Pusan International Film Festival and the South Asian International Film Festival in New York. The film is slated to release early next year in India and Nandita said she wanted to show the "impact of violence on the human psyche and relations" through her movie. Another of Nandita's movies doing the rounds of the world festival circuit is her first Pakistani film Ramchand Pakistani, which releases commercially in India October 2. Nandita shares screen space with Pakistani actors like Rashid Farooqui, Noman Ijaz, Maria Wasti, Farooq Pario, Navaid Jabbar and Syed Fazal Hussain in the film. Directed by Mehreen Jabbar, the film shows the trauma of people living in the India-Pakistan border areas and how an accidental crossing of the border changes the lives of a Hindu 'untouchable' peasant family living in Pakistan. Sharing her thoughts on her cross-border debut, Nandita said: "I have known Mehreen for the past five years. People in Pakistan get to see a lot of India in the Indian movies released there, especially after the lifting of the ban. But in India we don't get to see that amount of Pakistan. "After Khuda Kay Liye and Ramchand Pakistani, I hope things would change and more Indian and Pakistani actors would work together." Known for her strong roles in offbeat films like Fire, 1947 Earth and Bawandar, Nandita also thinks that her being typecast as an "art-house" actor is natural. "Some amount of typecasting is inevitable. I am basically used to doing what reflects with me and whatever I relate to. Beyond a point, I am not concerned about it. That is the reason why I do regional films. These films are also to be made and seen because they are good stories and good directors are making them." As far as selection of roles is concerned, Nandita says that an actor has to choose from what he or she is being offered. "As an actor, you are dependent on projects that come to you," she said. Her next release this year is Santosh Sivan's internationally acclaimed Before the Rains. Right now Nandita has no film in her kitty, she is concentrating on her directorial debut and planning to take Firaaq to more film festivals. — IANS |
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Speechless on the set
Priyanka Chopra has been rendered speechless. And it's not for want of words. In the past few days, director Vishal Bharadwaj has been making her scream her lungs out for the movie Kaminey. As a result her voice has been reduced to a croak. "I play this extremely vocal Maharashtrian girl. And I believe in making myself heard. Vishal has made sure my voice gets heard as far as possible," Priyanka said. Besides working in Kaminey, in which she is paired with Shahid Kapur, the model-turned actress is looking forward to the release of her two films—Drona followed by Fashion. While Goldie Behl presents her as Abhishek's bodyguard in his directorial venture Drona, Priyanka plays a model in Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion. After playing a ramp model for Fashion, Priyanka recently walked the ramp for designer Ritu Kumar at the inaugural show of the HDIL Indian Couture Week. Commenting upon her experience, she said: "I walked the ramp for friends like Rohit Bal and Vikram Phadnis and not for the reason that I played a role of model in Fashion. Walking the ramp at Ritu's show it felt like I was doing a sequence for the film. I've done so much ramp-walking for the film, I feel I'm back to my modelling days. "At 17 when I first walked the ramp, I had done it for Rituji. And now again, after having played a model and walked the ramp continuously for a year for Madhur Bhandarkar's film, when I got on the ramp for an actual fashion show, I couldn't tell the difference between walking for Fashion and for Ritu Kumar's show. Both were 'performances' and still an integral part of my growth as a human being," she added. Ritu Kumar wanted to gift to the actress the ghagra-choli ensemble that Priyanka wore. "But I didn't want to take it away from her. It is a very old and precious outfit. I was just happy wearing it," she said. Priyanka hogged the limelight at Ritu Kumar's fashion show.
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Gandhigiri, post-Munnabhai
If you have to choose between violence and cowardice, then choose violence. These words were said by the Father of the Nation and describe the paradoxical world we live in today. For someone who introduced the world to the strength of ahimsa and satyagraha, one would hardly believe that these words were uttered by the Gandhi we know. Even after 139 years of his birth, Mahatma Gandhi lives through his principles. But the young India, who drives home in SUVs, wears international brands and breathes in luxury, believes in Gandhi with a twist. “Following Gandhian principles in contemporary times seems academical. It requires a lot of energy, determination and discipline. In fact, no thinker enjoys the luxury of immortalising his ideologies against time,” says Dr Sudhir Kumar, an English professor in the Department of Evening Studies, Panjab University. He recently was invited to the University of London to deliver a talk on the Gandhian principles. He believes that a customised Gandhi is what the youth can relate to, not the sanitised Gandhi. But what about Gandhigiri? “Although the concept was popularised by Lage Raho Munnabhai, the trend seems to have lost its importance with time,” feels Khushal Malhotra, a management student from the city. Sure, for the generation that wears its attitude on their sleeves and believes in constant changes, be it clothes, cars or ideologies, Gandhigiri may be viewed as just another fad. But Khushal is quick to add, “Gandhian philosophy holds tremendous importance today, when we are fighting violence in our daily lives.” Come to think of it, even movies like RDB, that highlighted youth, violence and nationalism justify Gandhi’s take on violence. Our relationship with Gandhi can be described as a love-hate one. Says Dr. Sudhir, “Our consumerist side does not want to connect to Gandhi but our humanist side won’t let go of him. Some may love to hate the man, others may adopt his principles, but we all are somehow connected to Bapu in a way or the other. “Some of his teachings like women emancipation, ahimsa and fighting social malpractices are relevant even today. But personally, I think the Gandhian way of life is not meant for this globalised world,” says Arunpreet, a housewife from Sector-9. Well, when the world awakes to Mahatma’s teachings and his anniversary is being celebrated as World Non-violence Day, we still struggle to find a place for his principles in our so-called modern life. neha@tribunemail.com
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Room service
FESTIVE season is here and so are the holidays. And so comes good news for the ones looking forward to a quick get away to Queen of Hills—Shimla. The ‘Himalayan Vacations’ package by the Oberoi Cecil and Wildflower Hall presents an excellent opportunity to plan a luxurious holiday at exceptional value.
“Shimla has been a favourite with domestic travellers for a long time. With the flight connectivity and world class facilities available now, the hill station is getting its share of foreign tourists,” tells Manoj Biswas, product manager, Wildflower Hall. Swathed in palpable silence, disturbed only by birdsong and the rustle of pine and cedar, this resort is nestled in 22 acres of forest. India’s leading Spa resort is listed as the most romantic destination in Life’s book - ‘Dream Destinations: 100 of the World’s Best Vacations’ If you are one charmed by the beauty of Shimla mall road, the Oberoi Cecil is the place for you. Located at the quiet end of the mall, the place is a haven of luxury and comfort. The elegantly appointed guestrooms of the hotel that offer all modern amenities, restaurant that serves an extensive selection of fine Asian and European cuisine, an indoor heated stretch pool, an Oberoi Spa and a children’s activity center, make it ideal for a family vacation. “Vacation at Cecil has become a tradition in itself. We have customers coming over the generations now. Parents celebrated their anniversaries, children their honeymoon and first birthdays of their kids later,” said Srikant Peri, general manager, Cecil. Feel tempted to indulge in some luxury? Well, when the ‘Queen of Hills’ is calling, it’s pretty hard to resist. |
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A nice décor and a variety of home furnishings to choose from. With the launch of Splash, a home furnishing label, Chandigarh becomes the third exclusive store for this brand which comes from Hanung Retail ltd. The company is already running exclusive stores for both the brands in cities like New Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Jammu and Dehra Dun. It provides an expanded range of Splash products like bedsheets, bedcovers, comforters, curtains, towels, bath mats and a premium export range of furnishings. The company plans to open another splash store in Mohali soon. Head, Hanung Retail Ltd, Varun Sachar, says “We are keeping pace with our plans and hopefully we will reach the target of having 20 stores by the end of this financial year. We aim to have over 150 outlets by the end of 2010.” Mayor of the city Pradeep Chhabra inaugurated the store. — TNS
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Thread bare
Showcasing an array of fabrics and myriad of hues weaves-2008, an exhibition cum sale of suits, saris and duppatas comes to city. Displayed at Kisan Bhawan-35, this exhibition gets for you a unique blend of style, pattern and weaves from across the country.
Showcasing designer saris from Karnataka, here you can pick mangalgiri saris, ikat Pochampally saris of Andhara Pardesh, a variety of Assamese silk like Endi, Muga and Pala, fabrics in tusssar silk, cotton fabric by the Dastar tribesmen, patola silk sarees of Gujarat, kashmiri cotton embroidered dress material, bomkai, sambalpuri sarees from Orissa, bandhni of Rajsthan and the
all-so-famous kancheepuram silk saree. That’s not all here you can also pick banaras silk sari and baluchari sarees of West Bengal. — TNS |
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Seniors’ day out
Thursday could be a day of hanging out with friends and eating out in style for our senior citizens. For, the Taj-Chandigarh is dishing out a tempting discount for all senior citizens to lunch at Dera on October 2.
And guess what! The discount will be equivalent to their age on that day and even afterwards, the senior citizens can continue to avail of a 50 per cent discount on lunch. Dera celebrates the confluence of the cultures of east and west Punjab. The specialties of Dera, made from virgin olive oil, freshly ground masalas and organic vegetables, include a variety of vegetarian preparations, while the interactive kitchen, the live phulka and dal tadka trolley, enhance the dining experience. The chef and his team will especially keep the health angle in mind while preparing the food for the senior citizens. — TNS |
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Devil wears ada
In the time of designer wear, bags and shoes, it's almost impossible to remain untouched by the label bug. Now, it's our good old Ramlila's Ravana who has chosen to go designer. In a unique initiative by INIFD, the students have given an image makeover to Ravana under a project 'Dashagriva' which means the one with ten necks.
The project headed by Anuradha Thakur was a journey into the mythological past by some 15 students, who researched extensively before designing the elaborate costume. During the research they decided to bring forth the positive side of the Lankapati, who is usually depicted as evil incarnate. Ravana's black, golden, red, stone-studded dress signifies the knowledge and skills earned by the king. The upper front of the dress bears tandav nritya of Nataraj depicting him as a devotee of Shiva, the waistline bears Lord Kuber—the God of riches (after all, Ravana ruled sone ki Lanka), kaal is tied on the right leg of the costume symbolising that even death was enslaved by the mighty king. The centre motif of the dress, on Ravana's navel depicts his kundilini shakti and the nine chakras. Ravana was an exemplary scholar, an expert in the vedas and shastras, with a knowledge of 64 art forms that have been innovatively depicted in his robe. The colours of the dress are symbolic too —golden representing royalty, red energy and black, his status as a ruler. The dress used stones in different colours on the basis of nava grahas. Even the fabric they have used is lycra, giving the touch of leather that supposedly was the material used for dresses. So much so, the students seem to have enjoyed the journey to the past, "It was a welcome change from designing stuff for the ramp. We got to know so much through the research about Ramayana that we had totally missed out. Interestingly, the fact that Ravana knew the art of fashion designing as well," says Arka Mriyank, a student who was part of the designer team. And why was Ravana only chosen for the makeover? "Well, he was the rich one, the king of sone ki Lanka. We could give him the emperor look that we could not give to Rama or Lakshman as they were in exile," says Nimisha Gupta, centre head, INIFD. Sunil Sharma, who has been associated with Ram Lila for the last 27 years, was elated at wearing this Rs 10,000 dress: "I am playing Ravana for the last four years but it's for the first time that I got to wear such an ornate dress. The students who researched extensively taught me also a thing or two through this dress." So far so good, get ready to see the stylish Ravana at the Parade Ground Ram Lila. mona@tribunemail.com |
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Glossies & Guys
The globally successful luxury lifestyle magazine for men, GQ , launched its much-awaited Indian edition at the grand opening of the Four Seasons Hotel-Mumbai recently. The one of a kind celebratory event brought together partnership between Porsche and Four Seasons.
More than 800 guests from the luxury space, corporate houses, leading fashion designers, Bollywood and key opinion leaders attended the star-studded event. Befitting the global GQ positioning; the Indian edition drew attention from Porsche manufacturer with its display of the Porsche Cayenne at the launch. Adding the glamour to the evening were fashion designers Rohit Bal, Nandita Mahtani, Ravi Bajaj, Narendra Kumar Ahmed and Suneet Verma along with Bollywoods much loved Arjun Rampal, Mehr Jesia, Dino Morea, Upen Patel and Tara Sharma. Posing for the shutterbugs and looking resplendent was Lara Dutta in a Valentino dress while Malaika Arora Khan showed off her Dolce and Gabbana yellow dress. — TNS |
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Go green is a motto that the UT Administration has taken up in earnest. Having banned smoking already in public places, the city would see a ban on polythene bags too. With synthetic out, we check out what's on offer in the name of paper bags. Hear it from those crafting paper bags:
Remember those ancient beige-coloured kurtas that once used to be the favourite attire of babus and netas? In fact, their staid uniform-like designs and dull colours made them a no-no for many others. That was till khadi revamped itself. On the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, we checked out the constantly evolving look of the fabric that the Mahatma popularised.
