Preity da Punjabi tadka
Jasmine Singh

The journey for her, through the woods, which has lots to reveal, offer and surprise has just begun. The scary voices, unexpected hurdles, and unknown enemies don't perturb her. Her goal, is to move on, come what may.

What’s more, she invites each one of us to be a part of her journey. Saadey naal rahogey tey aish karogey, she announces. Preity Zinta, effervescence, enthusiasm, and energy in place instead double this time, is back with the second season of IPL with the launch of Kings XI Punjab cup. There is a lot to talk about. But the conversation inevitably swings towards 'a' thing that she sleeps, drinks, eat and lives for at the moment, cricket. Excitement written all over Preity Zinta, it was just impossible to stop the flow of ideas for Kings XI. "I would want Kings XI to be the most popular cricket team in the world. We want to promote cricket at the grass root level and we look forward to encouraging our budding cricketers selected through the tournament."

Hey! This 'baby' has learnt to walk. The day isn't far when you would see her running. Who knows she may become a cricket maestro. That might be a little while, but the actor has sure learnt to say on-liners in chaste Punjabi. "I am also trying to ratto it. Earlier, I would sound awkward speaking it. I think I am doing well now. I had Punjabi dialogues in Heaven On Earth as well." "All said and done, I like the Punjabi attitude, their culture, their way of the life, aggressiveness and their large heartedness," says Preity.

We were dying to mention movies and whisked in the mention, the minute we found its scope. Missing movies? "Yes, very much," she says. And you know that she does. "You must have seen I have had a few releases. When I ventured in to IPL, I thought it would mean 2-3 weeks of work, but I had underestimated the project. It is much more than what I thought it would be. But I enjoy it." Preity’s fans needn't be disheartened, for she is going to hog the silver screen this year with a good number of releases. "It is going to be a Preity Zinta festival this season with Heaven On Earth, Harpal, Main Aur Mrs Khanna," she smiles. Anything that the 'friends' in Bollywood have to say? "They miss me too. And they're sparkling with ideas for me all the time."

And well, cricket and movies are not the only things she knows. She also feels strongly for female infanticide and feoticide, their basic education and hygiene, and vehemently opposes people who create a ruckus in the country in the name of religion. Preity is associated with Umeed in Sangrur, for whom she donated the KBC prize money. "I am happy to see that the women at Umeed are doing so well. They are now in a position to support their families." Adds Preity, "Give love to your daughter and she can be the son of the house. Don't break her faith, just support her." As far as hooliganism goes, Priety appeals to the youth to not vote for parties but for people, who work for the betterment of the nation.

What about recession affecting the industry. Offers Preity, "It has. We have become conservative about spending. I have moved out from a bigger suite to smaller one when I am in the city," she laughs. But certainly no compromise when it comes to Kings XI." All this cricket`85.it could affect her shelf life? "It's the contrary. This is the best time to be in the industry. Today, movies are about characters. I am glad I moved out from the teeny bopper phase and doing some good stuff." Like cricket. 'Oh! That's awesome." Chak de Punjabi.
jasmine@tribunemail.com

Another admirer for TZP

Though Aamir Khan's directorial debut Taare Zameen Par failed to make it to the Oscars last year, it has found admirers from across the spectrum. Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) prime ministerial candidate and one-time film critic L.K. Advani is the latest, praising the movie on his blog.

Writing on his blog, blog.lkadvani.in, he said: "Aamir's Taare Zameen Par is a beautiful film whose story hinges around a nine-year old boy afflicted with dyslexia, an ailment that affects a child's brain resulting in his inability to see the difference between the shapes of letters. The affliction causes what can colloquially be described as 'word blindness'." Advani, who was once film critic of the Organiser, further wrote that the script of film and Amir's direction were truly outstanding, so were Prasoon Joshi's lyrics and the music by Shankar, Ehsaan & Loy.

On current craze Slumdog Millionaire, Advani did not make any remark, only mentioning that it has bagged various nominations abroad.

"Many in India are anxiously looking forward to (film's music composer A.R.) Rahman as well as the film bagging several Oscars as well. Already, the film has earned as many as ten nominations," he wrote.

However, some of those regularly reading Advani's blog disagreed with his "no comment" attitude to Slumdog Millionaire.

"Mr. Advani, why didn't you touch upon the pseudo-secularist message being perpetrated in the name of international cinema? Slumdog Millionaire is putting India on the world map for all the wrong reasons on the contrary, it is a pornography of poverty, which paints India as a country of slums and exploitation and class divide," one visitor to the blog wrote.

Recently, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan had relayed a comment from a visitor to his blog slamming the film. — IANS

Real to reel

He beautifully captured the dreams and aspirations of the Punjabi middle class with his film Khosla Ka Ghosla and has now drawn upon his experience of growing up in the film Oye Lucky Lucky Oye.

Dibakar Banerjee, director of the film, has drawn inspiration from the escapades of a superchor 'Bunty' in Delhi and has brilliantly portrayed the life of middle class in city lanes and bylanes.

His Oye Lucky Lucky Oye has won lot of critical acclaim for its brilliant portrayal of life in the Capital, and the inspiration for Dibakar's film comes from his early days in Delhi where he was born and brought up.

''I have chosen Delhi as my subject because I understand Delhi- its culture its people. I've grown up in Delhi- I know its roads its localities,'' said Dibakar.

He said his latest film Oye Lucky Lucky Oye includes many scenes which have been drawn straight from his real experiences of growing up in Delhi.

''Me and my friends used to travel in DTC buses, sometimes with tickets sometimes with student's pass and the funny incidents in the buses used to interest us. The drivers and conductors had a unique way of speaking, which seemed humorous and we used to observe that and enjoy a lot,'' he said.

Remembering one of high experiences in a DTC, he said,''Once it was raining heavily in Delhi and the bus I boarded was almost empty and I asked the conductor for a ticket, who was in a very good mood and was singing in Haryanvi, said smilingly - arrey ticket ka kya karega fauji(what will you do with a ticket) dum dum diga diga mausam bheega bheega. I vividly remember this incident and the conductor's tone and decided that I will surely use this incident in one of my movie,'' the filmmaker said.

Talking about his experiences as a filmmaker, Dibakar said, ''Making a film is like a war. You first think that writing script is difficult, but once the script is ready one thinks pre-production is difficult and then after that you think shooting in 45 degrees celsius is difficult, but we managed to shoot the entire movie in 45 days in scorching heat of Delhi.'' All difficulties just fade away while you're working. Lot of it depends on what kind of energies you have while you are working, a delighted Dibakar added.

Working in an ad agency in Delhi, Dibakar was initiated into films by his friend Jaideep Sahni, who has written scripts for films like Chak De India, Aaja Nachle and the recently-released Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.

''My friend Jaydeep Sahni, who was my colleague at the ad agency, called me up from Mumbai and told me about a producer, Tandav Films, in Delhi who wanted to make an independent film from Delhi. The story, the characters were similar to what me and Jaydeep used to discuss earlier so he asked me if I would direct it. I agreed to it if Jaydeep will write the film and that's how we all started with Khosla ka Ghosla,'' Dibakar said.The director said he had a strong desire to work with the 90s diva Madhuri Dixit.

''I'd love to shoot with Madhuri and in a role which she's never done before,'' he added.To all wannabe filmmakers like him, Dibakar has but one message -Work on what you believe in. The journey might look difficult, but our work will be accepted, he emphasised. — UNI

Young achievers

The cast of Slumdog Millionaire continued their extraordinary journey towards next month's Oscars when they added to their already-bulging trophy collection. Freida Pinto and the film's young leading actors, rounded off a hat-trick of British success at Sunday's event when they collected the night's main prize: Best cast in a motion picture.

"It was already enough to be nominated. But to win is unbelievable," said their fellow star, Anil Kapoor. He dedicated the award to the child actors in the film, about a boy from the slums of Mumbai who becomes a contestant on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? "It is the children that have done it, not us," he said.

The award makes Slumdog... a firm favourite for the Academy Awards next month.

Twelve of the last 15 films that gained top honours at the SAG awards went on to win the best picture at the Oscars, and Ladbrokes is offering odds of 1/4 on Slumdog... repeating the feat. Its nearest rival, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, failed to win in any of the three categories for which it was nominated. — Agency

Building B-town bulge

He himself has a well-toned body and exercises regularly, but actor-turned-producer Suniel Shetty says when it comes to the fittest body in tinsel town, Akshay Kumar wins hands down as he has maintained his physique throughout his 18-year career.

"Akshay has the fittest body in Bollywood, and all these years we have seen him getting better day by day," Suneil Shetty told.

"He is very flexible, lean and fit and to maintain this level of fitness he has worked out with dedication and discipline over the years," said Suniel, who was in the capital to launch a gym.

Suniel, who is currently working with Akshay in De Dana Dan, teamed up with the action hero for the first time in Hum Hain Bemisaal followed by hits like Mohra, Hera Pheri and Dhadkan.

Suniel added that Akshay does all his stunts himself and doesn't think twice before jumping from a cliff unlike other actors.

"I know so many actors who claim that they do their stunts themselves, but the scenario is completely opposite. To know the reality, you should check with stunt masters. That's why I believe fitness just doesn't come with appearance, it is something that is inside you," Suniel said.

Suniel feels it is a good trend to see stars like SRK and Aamir getting in shape for their movies but adds that it would be even better if they are able to maintain that physique.

"Body-building is not a difficult task; what in fact is tough is to maintain that sculpted body. It is really a good sign that actors are giving due attention to their fitness levels, but the most important thing is to see how long they can sustain that look," the actor said.

But Suniel has a word of caution too, "Fitness necessarily does not mean achieving eight-pack-abs, it requires lot of dedication, focus and good eating habits. One should not go in for shortcuts like steroids because it can be harmful in the long run," Suniel added. He turned producer with his Popcorn Motion Pictures Ltd film Khel, Rakht and Bhagam Bhag.

Next will be Inder Kumar's comic caper Daddy Cool, Anthony D'Souza's Blue and Priyadarshan's De Dana Dan. — IANS

Towering success
Ashima Sehajpal

Recession is in no mood to retreat. It is still very much here jolting the corporate houses and eating into government’s revenues. With no exceptions, it has somehow affected each one of us. So, when Sudhir Deshpande, an internationally acclaimed artist talked about how the recession monster scared him, we weren’t surprised. "I was all set to make a 200-feet-tall sculpture in Mumbai but then the meltdown happened and swallowed the project." The corporate house that was sponsoring his work of art backed out after suffering some financial losses. And then he mentioned a fact that none of us had ever thought about, "It isn’t the corporate houses but artists in India who have been worst hit by the meltdown. So, when people started cost cutting, they began with art as it isn’t very important here." But that doesn’t mean he is doing nothing these days. He still has his hands full and that is also something that brings him to the city again.

Here for some serious business in collaboration with the Chandigarh Administration, our meeting with him at Sukhna Lake was a sheer coincidence. But we decided to make the most of it and enquired further about the ‘serious business’. "The Administration wants me to revamp the lake tower by making a sculpture over it." We did spot some blue prints of the tower there. But for art lovers, much more will be coming from Sudhir, "Talks are on for a full-fledged sculpture park in the city which, if approved, will be all set to become a major tourist attraction."

His artworks can be found in various parts of the world like Japan, England, Germany and America.

Hailing from Nasik and now settled in London, Sudhir is best known for holding the record for tallest sculpture in the world for nine years till it was broken in 2002. Fifty-five -feet tall and weighing 27 tonnes, the scrap metal sculpture at Nasik was a major tourist attraction. He regrets the delay in the making of the sculpture in Mumbai for obvious reasons, "It would have given me a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for making the tallest one in the world." We regret the delay too, but Sudhir gives us other reasons to celebrate. Also a painter, he has been doing abstract artwork as well. Recently a picture of his painting Joy and Sorrow was published in Artery, the most-read art magazine in the world. Also the painting found place at the Art Binnali exhibition that was held in Italy last year.

After all these achievements, he is looking forward to make his projects more entertaining by making them multi-dimensional. "I have already made some mobile sculptures. Also on the cards is a sculpture of a thought of Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Krishna."

ashima@tribunemail.com

Art for soul
Parbina Rashid

The name is a bit too lyrical for an art gallery, but then, we were already over with our initial apprehensions as this happens to be the second exhibition by Afreen (that’s the name of the art promotion outfit) and we have already sampled their fare last year at Art Folio-9. Ranjeet Grewal, the brain behind Aafreen, is back with works of 15 artists, mostly from Bangalore and Kolkata. The venue this time has been shifted to the Government Museum and Art Gallery.

Spiritualism is certainly the essence of this particular exhibition, which inaugurates for the public on Wednesday. Sudhir Mehar’s Buddha series, Bharti Sagar’s three frames on monasteries, Mridul Chandan Chai Shop at Hemkund Sahib and Benaras ghats which is again captured by Somashis Ganguly, only in much more vibrant mode, leading to Vijay Nagvekar’s Natraj and Krishna in dark blue and finally M.G. Dodamani’s two frames on Buddha again which also happen to be the most expensive among the lot (Rs 1.4 lakh and above). Breaking the monotony are Rani Rekha’s semi-abstract human form, Mastaq Khan Chaudhary’s women figures which seem to be inspired from the Mughal school of miniature art for its detailing in the background and
foreground.

Why religion? Because it sells? We couldn’t help but ask Grewal. "I didn’t think of any particular theme while collecting these 60 frames of work, but somehow spiritualism came out as the dominating factor. My emphasis was on colour but maybe my mind was in that particular frame," says Grewal.

Whatever maybe the reason, Grewal’s warm personality comes through little gestures, like as she makes a special effort to point out Sutapa Khan’s works. "She is Bratin Khan’s wife." Having seen Bratin’s works a couple of times, it is interesting to see his better-half following his footsteps and coming out with her works for the first time. That’s what we call giving a platform to budding talent.

On till January 30. 

parbina@tribunemail.com

Spade work
For a rosy future
Satish Narula

Call it the queen or the king of flowers, rose has ruled the floral kingdom. It has charmed the people of all ages, from the ‘ring-a ring-a roses’ age to the great personalities like Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, Giani Zail Singh and Zakir Hussain who adorned it on their robes. In Hindu mythology too, Brahma, who had some reservations earlier about its supremacy agreed and confessed before Lord Vishnu ‘Yes, indeed the rose was the best of all flowers’. This flower is also the first choice to exchange pleasantries.

Rose is easy to grow. But still there is a difference in the flowering quality and quantity between gardens. With a little care and attention, you can achieve the best compared to anyone. Whereas commercially the rose bears two flushes in a year, for home gardens the flowering is perpetual. One gets a few blooms almost all through the year although the quality is not that good. It is somewhat in your hands too to get more blooms per unit. What rose needs is a visit to its bush at least once a week. In fact, after it blooms, we enjoy the beauty and expect it to continue doing so. Suddenly there is a gap and we wonder why? In fact, after the blooms are over, it starts forming seeds and whole of the plant energy is diverted towards this. It is because of terminal or apical dominance where the bloom is formed that there is no development of vegetative growth below. So, as to get maximum number of blooms, immediately remove the fading blooms and the ‘hips’, the seed forming round capsules.

It is normally asked which colour bloom should be planted in the garden? Well, it depends upon an individual’s liking but if you have space enough to accommodate more number of plants then individual colour beds are preferred and if not, then mixed bed gives an equally good effect. After all, a rose is a rose. The bloom time of the two coincides and the rose magic is lost in the crowd. It is more prominent in case of tall annuals. If at all you have to, plant only those small species like burf (mesembryanthemum), pansy and sweet alyssum on the border of the bed as edge and that too in a single file. Red blooms in roses are preferred the most. Unfortunately, there is hardly any nursery in this region where you can get a named variety or the specific colour. You have to see the bush in colour to make sure it is the one you want. If you are looking for giant blooms, go in for hybrid tea roses and for bunches, the floribundas are the best. You can also get miniatures and climbers or the ramblers.

satishnarula@yahoo.co.in

It’s a question of answers
Manpriya Khurana

Candidates unload the whole semester’s knowledge into them, back benchers interested in the ones belonging to their neighbours, and once submitted, there’s no way you can even add a coma or a colon. A few sheets of paper stacked together that speak volumes of what a student did the whole year. Alright! No accolades for guessing right, the examination answer sheets are the current subject of scrutiny.

Finally, a ruling that has the teaching brigade in ruffles — PU ‘s latest decision to allow research scholars to mark students’ answer booklets is a step in ‘some direction’. Right or wrong? Let’s ask the ones affected.

The abrupt image of all research scholars jumping at the news, for obvious reasons, doesn’t quite hold. Jagdish Dhaliwal, research scholar, Department of Geography, has this to say, "I don’t think that’s a great idea. We are not experienced enough to mark others. If somebody has two or three years of college teaching experience, then may be that’s ok." Somewhat congruent to Chakravarti Mahajan’s opinion. A research scholar at the Department of Anthroplogy, he asks, "Ideally, it’s not a wise option. Only who have teaching experience should be allowed. When a person has not taught, does not know the curriculum, how can he assess?"

Additional rationale being, grading answers is a huge responsibility involving students’ careers. How’re the students themselves receiving it? Says Simarpreet Kaur, a post- graduate student, "Honestly, I am glad. Look at the pluses. Scholars can get experience, results on time, moreover, they have similar qualifications. What is the harm?" She adds, "It’s not like the marking that happens now ensures decimal accuracy." Classic case of careful marking by inexperienced scholars vs grading done in haste by veterans!

As Dr Rupinder Tewari, professor, Department of Biotechnology, and a senate member, rightly summarises, "See, on paper, only teachers should be the ones marking. But for some reason we don’t have that many teachers. From that perspective, allowing research scholars who’ve cleared UGC to assess the booklets is desirable, because the results got to be declared on time." Furthermore, it’s logistically too early to assess or predict the ticks or negatives of any move unless actually practiced.

manpriya@tribunemail.com

Not so happy

i TONE
Open up

This was probably the first time that a star nite was forced to end because entry was not allowed. It is but obvious that such nites draw huge student crowd. And if they are held in the open then entry is not an issue. Auditoriums allow lesser space and it so happens that more outsiders are let inside than university students, which becomes a reason for problem. Earlier, such incidents were not an issue because star nites were held in the open.

Jagjit Singh, Dept. of Evening Studies, PU

The venue for such nites should be decided depending upon the crowd capacity and the star quotient. With Amrinder Gill performing, one knows that there is going to be a large crowd. The pass system at the entrance works for an intimate gathering and not where fans pour in. Open spaces are perfect to hold such events and with proper security arrangements and steps to control the crowd, these events can be made successful where everyone can enjoy.

Raunaq Oberoi, Rayat Institute of Engineering and Technology

Definitely, they should be held in the open. First of all, I don’t think it’s a wise decision to actually spend on building bigger auditoriums. Secondly, I have attended a few Panjab University functions myself in the open, they are much more fun, thereno suffocation etc. Apart from this, to avoid such incidents in future, there should be better crowd management by dividing the crowd and venue into various compartments.

Manav Suri, student, PU