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Taste of Tokyo India's more home for Teruyuki Hoshina than Japan. And it's dal makhani that entices Mizuho Hayakawa to Punjab. Meet the Japanese delegates at the film fest… How much do you know about Japan? Apart from, of course, sushi and Tokyo. Not much, we conjecture. Here's a chance to taste a slice of the Land of the Rising Sun, through the best form, cinema. For, the joint efforts of Chandigarh Film Society, Embassy of Japan, Japan Foundation, Chandigarh Tourism and STEPS bring to the city a seven-day, Japanese Film Festival '08, starting Saturday. The eleven films to be showcased during the festival are, among others, by one of the prominent Japanese director, Keisuke Kinoshita. Teruyuki Hoshina, director, Japan Foundation. Says he, "Through this we just want to introduce Japanese culture to the Indian audience." Mizuho Hayakawa, first secretary, Embassy of Japan, adds, "We keep organizing a lot of cultural events in New Delhi. Whenever given a chance, we are always eager and keen to go outside Delhi too." They expect the audience to like the films being screened. As Mizuho says, "We're very different form the cinema scenario here. At first people might find them too artsy or boring but our stories are very well organised and pictures are beautiful." Watch out for a wide range. From Always-Sunset on Third Street, an award winning film dealing with the Japan in 1960's to Carmen's Pure Love, a story where the protagonist, a strip teaser in Tokyo believes strip teasing is an art. So, what is the criteria that they adopt while selecting the movies? She says, "Some of them are very, very popular movies and we try to ensure a healthy combination of art, animation and action." They head to Karnal after this. On the cultural front what's in store? Says Teruyuki, "We are constantly organizing things like quiz contests, photo exhibition and next year looking forward to classical concert." So much for the Japanese culture here. What about the popularity rate of Indian cinema back home in Japan? Answers Teruyuki, "It's getting popular. Just two months ago there was a festival in the southern part of Japan where, among other movies Om Shanti Om was screened." That's not about it. He adds, "There's even a Bollywood magazine that comes out there." Before we wind up, they better say a few nice things about the Tricity! Says Mizuho, "I've to come to Chandigarh for the first time. It's a green and clean city and so far I've seen Sukhna Lake, Rock Garden and Government museum and art gallery." Teruyuki too agrees, "It's very beautiful and quite different from Delhi, it's traditional as well as modern." On till November 21 at Government Polytechnic for Women-10 Ode to Bollywood
Mizuho says, "I loved Chak De India, Lagaan, and Aamir Khan is one of my favourite actor." And at times, she doesn't even need English sub-titles to watch the movie. As she says, "Some of the movies are easy to follow because they are action movies or so." Teruyuki too chips in, "I especially like the singing and dancing that goes on in the Bollywood movies. They're different from Japanese cinema." Hey, that's our specialty! Flower(y) language Here's to quick observation. When asked what is it from Japan that she sees the most in India, Mizuho answers, "I think the traditional Japanese flower arrangement is quite common here." We don't know how many people are aware of it.
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Shhh… quietly, slowly, make sure you don't drag your feet while trying to catch it. And once your hands are on it, grab it as softly as possible so that you don't harm your pretty prey. No, we aren't talking of any serious hunting, just mentioning some tips to catch a butterfly. That was probably one of the most amusing pastimes we have all indulged in childhood. We talk about those winged beauties here again but for a serious purpose. The Chandigarh Museum and Art gallery will be playing host to the Dr. M.S. Randhawa National Mobile Exhibition that will showcase roughly 500 butterflies from 60 different species on November 22 and 23. The idea of putting the most beautiful insects on display has been possible due to the efforts of Professor (retd) H.R. Pajni, a city- based eminent entomologist who, over a period of 30 years, has collected butterflies. He says, "Collecting butterflies has been a part of my profession, since we had a lot of research work to do, but it is also my hobby now." He has caught and preserved butterflies from the northwest and eastern regions of India. Talking about the procedure of preserving them, he adds, "After collecting, we put them in acetate and then keep their wings against paper to stiffen them. It is then we pin them in cork for display." He feels a lot needs to be done to increase the count of butterflies in India, which has declined due to deforestation and less green area. "They are the best pollinators and for this reason, some European and South American countries are importing them from other parts of the world." The first of its kind, the mobile butterfly exhibition will visit various schools and colleges in the city and also Panjab University. Navjot P.S. Randhawa, director, Government Museum and Art Gallery, says, "It's a unique exhibition that one would get a chance to see rarely, so we thought of reaching out to people and make them enjoy it." Owing to its interesting theme, the exhibition is expected to attract a lot of children. — Ashima Sehajpal
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Picks &
piques
Male nurse Samir (Abhishek Bachchan) and shutterbug Kunal (John Abraham) are hunting for a house in magnificent Miami. They stumble upon a posh apartment owned by Neha (Priyanka Chopra), a fashion magazine editor, but sorry, guys are not welcome. So, the hunks hatch a plan to pose as gays and gain easy entry into Neha’s house and life. Living together, the trio turns into a buddy bunch. As expected, friendship graduates into love. As the race for girl’s affection hots up, enters the third suitor, Neha’s boss, Bobby Deol.This leads to a chain of events and the breezy entertainer culminates with an unpredictable climax. Dostana first shocks then rocks. Debutant director Tarun Mansukhani is clear about what he is doing. It takes pure guts to choose such a subject for your first film and then execute it with remarkable aplomb. The screenplay is excellent with ample dose of witty one-liners (Mujhe mila only shuk but no f*ck). The movie is path breaking in many respects — it celebrates gayhood, makes male body the object of desire and yes, you see two hunks smooching. The performances are top-notch. . The duo , Abhishek and John shares a crackling chemistry. Bachchan Jr is superb in his sissy comic act. John surely has a body of a Greek god. Priyanka oozes oomph, especially in her golden beachwear. The leading lady carries on her Fashion goodwork to deliver a fine act. No wonder, she had been inducted into KJO’s band of girls. Kirron Kher’s cameo in the first half is fantabulous. Just see her trying to come to terms with her son’s (Abhishek) gayish behaviour with the song Ma da ladla bigar gaya and then accepting his son’s partner Kunal in a proper ‘grih parvesh’ sequence. Boman Irani as ‘original gay’ is excellent. Bobby comes up with a poised performance in his Armani suits. A word about Ayananka Bose’s cinematography: It’s simply stunning. The camera has captured the beachy mood of Miami with great precision. Wardrobe has always been the high point of Dharma banner. Aki Narula and Manish Malhotra take it a step forward with ultracool casual line. Vishal-Shekar’s core is peppy. Mast Mast Watch! mona@tribunemail.com Hazaaron khwahishen
aisi…
Produced with a shoestring budget, the film is a tribute to the common man. The plot revolves around a meek man Amar Kaul (Vinay Pathak), an accounts manager in a pharma company. The only high he gets is by making a Things ToDo list every morning and then striking off the ‘achievements’ in the evening. One day, he gets to know that he has but only three months to live. Taking over the reins of his life, our man decides to make a final list of ‘To Do Things Before I Die’— some material, some not, some childhood dreams and what follows is Amar’s bon voyage towards fulfilling his wishes that also gradually push him towards his end. Director Shashant Shah makes a wonderful debut with his bitter-sweet tale. The screenplay compliments the storyline well. The pace may appear lethargic for some but then hardly anything exciting happens in a common man’s life.Vinay Pathak strikes a perfect chord with a realistic portrayal of an underdog. The rest of the characters also stand out. Shukla as a nagging, ‘ever eating’ boss is excellent. Rajat Kapoor, Neha Dhupia and Sarita Joshi are also impressive. Kailash Kher’s music is somber. This story of a simpleton does make you stop and think that are you really living your life?
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Reel-life beauties Neha Walia
Before we start for this week, here’s a moment of silence. Now if you are wondering what, this silent homage is for the recession victims, then that’s not my area of good judgment. The silence is in the memory of the mai baap of all soap operas Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, which died a legal death last week. Having changed the face of Indian television, this sure comes as a sigh of relief for many of us, but then lets not forget its landmarks. Amidst all the twisted tales of the Virani parivaar, we witnessed the dead come back to life, that too with a new body and a chic hairstyle. That’s not all we even saw a perfect face with full makeup even while she eats, sleep and fights against the chaalbaaz vamps. And most importantly, it taught us how women empowerment is not just a word. And let me explain how. Despite all the stereotypical, custom-made portrayal of Indian woman, it created the strongest female character in the history of TV, Tulsi. The sari-clad, god fearing and sabhayata preaching woman, who could even kill her own son if it meant standing for truth. It may be an archaic soap opera, but the model Indian daughter-in-laws were shown as successful businesswomen. But alas, with the end of the kyunkii... era, there is a current breed of boob tube babes who are defining a very different and contemporary role of women. They are no more damsels in distress, but saucy ladies who are ready to get naughty and ruthless to get their way of things done. These ladies swear, slap, snore and swig several drinks and are well, closer to real life. On the small screen, the dominance of the ‘Alpha women’ is complete. The pau-kilo reality shows on TV are the biggest source of inspiration for such women. Remember the tadakta-bhadakta MTV’s Splitsvilla, twenty girls competing for the attention of two guys, and all that khullam khulla flirting and backstabbing sessions that became routine. All that mattered was winning, and that meant showing your toughest, meanest and sexiest side. Did anybody mention love? Oh well, that was there too. Another such show was channel V’s Get Gorgeous and Miss Teen Diva on MTV, where these lissome beauties would fight for a glam job on ramp. And with all their physical attributes displayed to the best, the sexiest part of their body was their tongue. And they wouldn’t even hesitate for once to get into a mud fight or pulling each other’s hair off, or may be even dedicating a poem to themselves. It does looks like a live wrestling match than a reality show! And that’s not all; it’s the boldness and the I-give-a-damn avtar of the bhartiya naari that marks the dominance of the real women on TV. They are kicking ass, out of their inhibitions with `E9lan, they have no second thoughts in letting it loose. And so when daring beauties on Khatron ke Khiladi- Fear Factor, went for some high-action stunts, of course after saying a little prayer (arre bhai indian women hai na!), it made a bold statement. And when the reel is buzzing with women power with movies like Fashion, Via Darjeling and Ugly aur Pagli, where the male counter parts are almost non-existent, then the small screen too has its female superheroes, who are real women with real action. lifestyle@tribunemail.com
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Vinay Virmani, a recent graduate of the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York, will debut with the role of Canada’s first Sikh martyr Mewa Singh in Deepa Mehta’s upcoming film Komagata Maru. "The arc of Mewa Singh’s character begins as a young man of innocence filled with hope and ends with an enraged man transformed by anger into a seeker for justice. I wanted a fresh face to render this role and after much consideration I selected Vinay. He is talented, eager and passionate—qualities essential for the young Mewa Singh," Mehta said. Akshay Kumar, whose Hariom Entertainment is co-producer of the film, said, "I am delighted to have Vinay as part of our cast. Mewa Singh is a significant character in the film. His contributions and sacrifice were a true testament to human struggles for freedom. I am confident Vinay will do justice to this great humanitarian." Vinay said: "It is both incredibly exciting and slightly daunting to be given the challenge of playing a historical figure of such significance to my community. I am looking forward to being a part of this incredible film." — IANS
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The concept of a health café cart, wherein nutrition and taste come packed in the same fare, arrives at Sukhna Lake
Health Cart finally has rolled in at the Sukhna Lake and opened to the public this Friday with healthy fare on offer. The Health Cart saw a swarm of tourists, Chandigarhites and children savouring the delectable fare. It boasts of low calorie and low white starch menu that includes an unending variety of vegetables and fruits, a blend of mixed grainy breads, bagels, foot longs, foccasia, bruchettas, open peis, tarts and the works. A variety of teas and tisanes like the Awadhi Chai, Sattvic Chai, Cinnamon tea, Chamomile and fennel, mood lifting tisanes, diuretic tea, all derive their roots of origin from the oldest science of Ayurveda. Health cart offers a nut milk blend ideal for winter months. Nutrient dense soups such as the Lycopene overload, Chlorophyll Caulis, Chicken lemon clear and many more served with baked croutons and soup sticks are on the menu to make a difference in the nutrient levels of their customers. Dietary guidance and nutri-tips are also given to the public. The menu will change, according to Ritucharya, different for different seasons. "We wish to replicate our Health cart for all the parks and prominent places where good health will reach everyone," quips Pooja. When asked whether they would get a good response from the public, Aditi, the nutritionist, comments smiling, "People are left with no other choice than to learn to take their health in their own hands. It's high time we learnt to make a healthy choice when it comes to our diets." This started as part of Pooja Chopra's Ph.D. study on Marketing of Ecotourism wherein she proposed 10 to 15 aspects including a health cafe concept for the Chandigarh Green belt that would include all the parks as well as the lake. Pooja Chopra is a city based Marketing Consultant & Visiting Faculty in premier MBA Institutes in the tri city. Pooja Chopra and Aditi Mehrotra together made the framework of the project and it was finally appreciated and initiated with open arms by CITCO. Aditi Mehrotra is a diet consultant & promoter of Arney's Backyard - an after school nutrition based activity centre for school kids. The pricing will be between Rs 5 to Rs 55 for individual menu items. The health cart will offer monthly, quarterly or annual memberships to interested citizens. The membership card will be issued and the members may then enjoy health meals at discounted rates and avail other services. Cookery shows, regular health check ups will also be organised. — TNS
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City of joys Sreedhara Bhasin I don't know many cities that have as many trees per square unit as Chandigarh. I often presumed that I knew a few things about horticulture and tress, but I ate a humble pie upon my arrival in Chandigarh. I found trees and flowers that were beyond my realm and the abundance of plants and greens here stunned me. However, most of the city folks are so blasé about it that they fail to appreciate what they have. Very few know enough to teach others who are eager to learn, and to my and city's dismay people don't even know about Dr. M.S. Randhawa, to whom we owe many of the splendours of our city. Now I wonder in another thirty years, would they even know who is La Corbusier? Most of my friends who visit from out-of-town are bowled over by the sight of innumerable parks dotting every neighbourhood, sometimes several within one sub-sector, well-kept and groomed. My best friend who visited from Calcutta - was astounded that the iron swings are not stolen, the trees are left with leafy branches hanging heavy with flowers and even the lamps have artistic covers. In many metros this would amount to ready cash by common thieves. What I found hilarious were her comments. Seeing that most houses have garden and lawn decorations, statues and artifacts, often lining the entrance and the driveway - her mouth fell open, "you mean these are just left out all night?" Her incredulity told me how much we take it for granted here. Assault against woman is headline news here. In Delhi, people don't even bother to read through such items, they are so commonplace. When I suggested to my niece, if we could take a taxi and go to a certain theatre for a night-show (that too many years ago), she looked at me as if I were touched in my head. In Chandigarh, when I see women walking their dogs (that too quite timid looking) quite late in the evening, it warms my heart. It's funny that we complain of the dog menace in the lake, or that we talk about loud shaadi music on winter nights. We complain about too many rickshaws and not enough traffic police. We take it for granted that the kudawalla will climb the stairs to pick up garbage or that errant boys will not pluck the hibiscus in the morning. Someone asked me why we have so many mango trees in Chandigarh. I thought about it and could not find an answer. Maybe, Dr. Randhwa wanted to use them as sentinels to protect a deeper core of prized gems that abound in the city. Maybe, we can teach ourselves to love all that is special a little more and pass on the gifts like he did.
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Playing different tunes
"The music has an infinity of extension while theatre offers scope for endless improvisations on stage and both being high and exalted remain close to my heart," claims the Jammu based young thespian and music maestro, Sanjeev Gupta. Rightfully honoured with the coveted National Sangeet Natak Akademy's Ustad Bismillah Khan Puruskar-2007 for excellence in theatre direction, Sanjeev is in city as a guest of Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademy for a presentation as music director of Natrang at the ongoing Chandigarh Theatre Fest. Sanjeev grew listening to soulful bhajans from her mother Krishna Gupta and imbibed their melody. He presented songs in schools and later, ghazals and classical music at numerous competitions and functions of Jammu university. Having graduated from College of Fine Arts with a gold medal in Vocal classical, Sanjeev completed his Masters in Theatre direction from PU, Chandigarh and participated in drama productions of Indian Theatre department. Credited with playing lead roles in fifty full-length plays and scoring music for Natrang ensemble, Sanjeev has a bagful of prestigious awards. "Being the first recipient of national SNA Bismillah Khan award is really encouraging and I owe my success to my revered mentor Balwant Thakur and guru Prof. Sooraj Singh who have embellished my theatrical and musical skills," says Sanjeev.
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The Tawa & Tandoor festival brings alive a rustic ambience Sizzling up the winter food scene, Hotel Shivalikview-17 began its annual TAWA and TANDOOR food festival on its lawns on Saturday. It's a two-day fare that has a rural Punjabi theme with mouth-watering ethnic delicacies for the veggie and non-veggie food lovers of the tricity. The aromatic atmosphere is created at the starting point itself, Sochde-Sochde, where one can enjoy the authentic garma-garam 'murg and tamatar Da Shorba' that promises to enhance the appetite. Go a step ahead into Bhole Da Dhaba for a typical 'Amritsari macchi' or 'tawa meat te paneer taka tak.' You can't resist the Mastane Di Hatti for the season's warm 'sarson da saag te makki di roti with tempting melting butter over it. — TNS
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TAROT TALK ARIES : You draw " Nine of Wands" . You are the kind of a person who does not like obligations. As a result, asking or receiving favours is something that you do not relish. In this week, you would try and repay all those who have at sometime or the other helped you out. Lucky Colour : Cream. Tip of the week: Thursday and Friday are not the best days to spend a lot of money. LIBRA : " Princes of cups " says emotions and feelings would fill you up in this week and there would be times of highs and lows. However, you would make an attempt to calm things down and achieve a sense of inner balance. Lucky Colour: Turquoise. Tip: Money matters and health may also, need some looking after in this week.
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They might barely be able to utter namaste but they're sure loving the India experience, right from Bollywood to the spicy flavours. Discerned enough to like the most popular dish from here, says Mizuho, "I quite liked
Dal Makhani." Teruyuki, who's been staying in Delhi for the past five and a half years, laughs, "I feel more comfortable staying in India rather than Tokyo, I've got so used to it." Their opinion on Bollywood?
The
seeds of gay movement in Bollywood sown in KHNH( remember Kanta
Ben) have finally blossomed with Dostana. The latest venture of
Dharma Productions is an incredible eye-candy stimulating G (read
gay)-spot to provide loads of pure cinematic pleasure.
Big
is not always better when it comes to Bollywood. With expansive, expensive
projects falling flat at box-office, the desi studios are zooming
in on the small-budget flicks. Dasvidaniya is another addition to
this already popular trend of Bheja Fry, Rock On and Khosla
Ka Ghosla.
