In Navtej Sarna's latest book The Exile, Maharaja Duleep Singh's emotional and psychological upheavals come in first person account

Just when chic-lit literature and junk genre seemed to dominate the literary scene, here comes a reassurance, a hope that all is not lost. A book is the culmination of thorough insight, immaculate research and exhaustive resources and is not produced in a day. Nor was this. The Exile authored by Navtej Sarna, a renowned name not just in the literary field but the diplomatic circle too, is based on the life of Maharaja Duleep Singh, as fascinating as the subject is the concept behind the book. We talk to the man to know what went behind the scenes, know more about the outcome.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Maharaja Duleep Singh have been the topic of endless discussions, thesis and books. So, what makes this novel stand apart? Answers Navtej Sarna, "I don't think Maharaja Duleep Singh has been written much about. Certainly not from his point of view. Major books on him have been done abroad, not in India." What actually makes it stand apart is the way history has been told. It is not a chronological list or description of events. The story unfolds in Duleep Singh's own voice. As Navtej says, "I would call it a 'fiction based on history', the first person concept is to bring about the fictional freedom in order to cover the psychological and emotional aspects and do justice to them." No wonder, all the historical facts have been kept intact. Just they have been narrated in a way that covers emotional aspects; something that history is generally unable to do.

That's not the only discussion-worthy part about the book. As mentioned earlier, the novel, like any masterpiece, was not conceived in a day. It took nine years to be precise, including the breaks and fieldwork. He explains, "Apart from the groundwork, a lot of traveling went behind it, because the book aims at covering what he must have been feeling, experiencing." The man actually went to places like England, Lahore and streets of Paris and Moscow.

And any fact about Duleep Singh that remains largely unknown? He says, "He died less than 115 years ago, yet I think we need to know closely the circumstances which he went through. The kingdom lasted for 10 years only."

Reluctant to shake off the talks about the subject, we move on (realising no amount of discussing can make-up for reading), to the author himself. From being a bureaucrat to a diplomat to an author. He laughs, "Both the things have been going on for quite some time now. I have been contributing earlier also to newspapers and journals and both things have co-existed happily. This is not his first. He had earlier written We weren't Lovers Like That, The Book of Nanak and Folk Tales of Poland. Frivolous as it may sound, we ask for tips for budding authors. He says, "There's no substitute for writing. Don't worry about publishing." Coming from someone of his stature, it is both humbling and inspiring to the core.

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Silver plated dinner set, swatch watch, chocolates, wine bottles .... .Do you think you have forgotten something? What about a bunch of exotic, fresh smelling, dainty flowers? Sounds good, but who gives flowers on Diwali or Dusherra? We thought it was only meant for Valentines or Birthdays. This year surprisingly, exotic flowers have come up as a good gifting item.

Take it from Sahil Jain, director, Exotic flowers group of outlets ssector-10, who deals exclusively in an exotic range of flowers and arrangements. "Flowers always make up for a good gift item, irrespective of any occasion. This festival season sees an increase in the demand for flowers as gifts."

Sahil has come up with some exclusive arrangements and themes that go well with the festival season. To begin with, Sahil provides two specially designed categories of bouquets, traditional and contemporary. "The ethnic arrangement contains a tray of diyas, floating candles, coupled with red, white and yellow flowers and a small figurine of Lakshmi and Ganesha," says Sahil. In the contemporary set up, we have a glass bowl or tray with crackers, standing wine bottle, exotic flowers, a small wine glass, a cake with lighted candles.”

And, if you thought only expensive items could make for a decent gift, then these exotic flowers will serve the purpose without making you shell out more money. Adds Sahil, "Bird of paradise, pink anthurium, lemon and white orchids, morcara orchids, hallucinia, bell cups and coconuts are pretty popular this year." Mamta from Simply Flowers says, “Bouquets of white and yellow flowers are a hit among people.”

Not only this, you can add to the style of the bouquet by rendering it a theme or a particular kind of packaging. As Sahil puts it, "We provide bamboo, wooden and glass bases for the bouquets. The flowers are then packed in a particular theme selected by the customer." He adds, instead of cellophane we use nets and mats. Also, this year flat bouquets instead of the round ones are selling like hot cakes.

Sinful, and the look of the bouquet gets better with candles hanging from the flowers in glass vase, with red cherries and flowing ribbons in the backdrop. Adds Sahil, "There is a demand in the theme based bouquets. For instance, you can choose from Ring of fire, which is a ring of flowers in red, white, yellow and golden.

So who are the main buyers? Says Mamta, from Simply Flowers, "Business houses and people who see gifts as a token of love and remembrance."

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Rangtaal is the only theatre group in the country that performs human puppet shows and thus is making efforts to revive the forgotten traditions

We have heard the phrase; action speaks louder than words. But for this bunch of artists from Kolkata, it’s their silence that speaks, often screams, louder than words. Meet Rangtaal, a theatre group that performs mime and believes in the power of expression.

In the city for the second time, they will perform at the ongoing Durga Puja celebrations. “Last year we performed the hanging puppet show and this time we are here with the rod puppet show,” says Ratan Chakraborty, director and performer in the group. Theirs is the only theatre group in the country to perform human puppet shows.

For someone who has been performing this art for past 20 years, experimenting with skills comes naturally. A trained kathak dancer, he has brought innovations in mime too. “Human puppet performance is one of the novel concepts that I have introduced in mime. We will simultaneously perform Bengali folk dance with the mime act,” says Ratan.

Rangtaal has the distinction of performing at National Mime Festivals at Delhi, Guwahati, Jaipur and won accolades with their performance at the International Art Festival held in China in 2002. So what makes this dying art form different from others? “Mime is all about expressions and body language. Cutting across the barriers of language and nationalities, it drives on the power of expression combined with your passion and accuracy of thought,” he tells. So, even if you don’t understand the language (they mostly perform in Bengali), no worries.

Rangtaal has been performing shows over six years now and have more than 200 hundred performances to their credit. Their performances are based on spiritual themes with central characters like Ram, Krishna or Mahakaali.

And what’s in store for Durga Puja? “We have a team of 11 performers who will perform Antarcharitra and Baharcharitra, symbolizing our inner and outer self. We get our background music recorded by professionals and also perform mimicry along with some solo and group performances.”

The highlight of the performance, says Ratan, is the Bengali folk dance act. “ We have one performer dancing and the other interpreting his dance moves.”

Art, they say, is an abstract term defined through the perceptions of its beholder. And Rangtaal sure gives you one opportunity to find out the artist in you as you go ahead to interpret the face expressions and so immaculate gestures.

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Food lovers of the city have a reason to cheer up - Manor-26 has introduced a fine selection of American and European sizzlers. A survey done by the concern led to the conclusion that the city youngsters were keen to experience different kinds of food. And Munish Bajaj, director of the restaurant, found a solution in chef Peter Gomes, an expert in European cooking. "We are introducing about 15 sizzler main course dishes along with soups and starters. We kept in mind tastes of Chandigarh people who are fond of heavy meals, big portions and fine presentation while selecting the menu," said the chef who has learnt tricks of the trade in places like London, Dubai, Iraq and Malasia.

While the base of the sizzlers would remain European with spices and sauces being imported from Lebanon and America, the dishes would be a fusion to please Punjabi palate. You can choose a variety of dishes including wood roast fish with tomato bacon sauce, Labanese marinated grilled fish served with harista sauce and juicy chicken steak cooked in Malibu white rum. The vegetarians can have their pick too from grilled cottage cheese, vegetable steak and crispy tofu varieties. "We have made efforts to make the dishes sumptuous as well as nutritious and low fat," added Gomes. Well, a double festival bonanza we would say.

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Celebrities from the tinsel world of Mumbai are increasingly getting net savvy! After Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Anurag Kashyap and Kunal Kohli, the latest to use the net to keep in touch with fans and admirers is Bollywood’s diva Kareena Kapoor.

Kareena, who is today the number one actress in Bollywood thanks to success of Jab We Met and the huge critical acclaim for her performance in the film, is all set to launch her very own website, trade sources said.

The sources revealed that Kareena’s website promised to give even the most frequently visited celebrity website a run for their money.

‘’Kareena’s website is going to be absolutely tech savvy. It’s going to be on the lines of Victoria Beckham, Madonna and Jennifer Lopez’s sites and fashion pages. Completely international and befitting a celebrity of her stature,’’ the sources said.

‘’Kareena’s official website is going to be fashion oriented. The site will have updates not only of Kareena’s fashion trends but also the other trends that take place all over the globe,’’ he revealed.

The sources said Kareena, who has in recent years become a style icon of sorts because of her near size zero figure. — IANS

All pervading dragon phenomenon has entered our desi festival circuit s well, read Dussehra, with introduction of Chinese masks for the festive occasion in the market.

It's the time of the year when children are after their parents to buy gada, teer kaman and Ravana masks.

Now add to it the masks of kid icons Spiderman, Batman and Tom and Jerry.

These Chinese additions have hit the sellers who have been making these traditional toys for years.

"During Dussehra, I would earn a quick buck by making teer, talwar and gada from wood sticks and cloth along with my three children.

But the Chinese toys have hit our business by about 50 percent," said Suresh Kumar who has been making and selling these Dussehra toys in sector-22 for over a decade now.

Well, talk of going global, seems like globalisation has found its place in our festivities as well.