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Straight talk
We got her idea of "hatke" cinema better as she cites the example of her upcoming flick, Straight: Pinu Patel Ki Love Story. "It is a romantic comedy that shows journey of a man, Pinu, a restaurateur, who is an introvert by nature and is desperate to know if he is straight or not. My role in the film is of a simple girl, Renu who makes caricatures of people coming in his restaurant and turns around his life." Different role indeed! She admits the fact that even while choosing this role, she was quite cautious, "I believe there are just two categories of films, good or bad. One wrong decision can make you stand among the untalented actors and so I am very careful while making choices." The next obvious question from us was how does she decide upon the roles she wants to do, " I just follow my instincts and have to be convinced with the script and my role." She further adds, "Hello, might have not done well at the box office but I fell in love with my character. A hit or a flop, it didn't matter to me then." But here we got to know something that matters to her really and tops her wish list, "I hail from Chandigarh and now I want do a film in my mother tongue." She adds that offers of some Punjabi films have come her way but hasn't been worth it. Not to forget, just a few days back, we read Gul Panag saying that industry does not take beauty queens seriously and we thought we'll confirm it, "I have realised that my winning Miss India didn't help me at all in establishing myself as an actor. In fact,
people in the industry perceive beauty pageant winners to be frivolous actors with a perfect body. Its high time industry should start taking models seriously." And before signing off, she makes it a point to define the term "versatile actors", "Shabana Azmi and Smita Patel". We got it!
ashima@tribunemail.com
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Hall of fame
Let's not get into the details of whether mall culture in the tricity is thriving or not. With the opening of fourth mall, Fame, all we are here trying to assess is do malls offer value for our money. The best person we though to answer this would be Shravan Shroff, MD, FAME India limited under which the FAME multiplex in Panchkula has just opened and he gives us an affirmative reply. "All these years, people from the tricity have loved to shop in open areas like sector 17 market. And though malls is altogether a different concept, it offers a lot in terms of one stop destination."
So no doubts at all if it would work or not? "I am 100 percent sure things will work out well in future. Chandigarh is as great a metropolitan as any other across India and all it would take is some time to catch up with the mall culture. Also our prime target is people of Panchkula who had no other alternative but to go to far off malls." Factors that Sharvan Shroff's team worked upon to increase the footfall are parking area and of course, when it comes to people of the region, food. "Food is something we have tried to cash upon. A large caf้ area and availability of big eating joints will be assured." And his long-term aim is, "Keep improvising. People's taste keeps on changing and so should the nature and quality of services."
TNS |
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Jail is not Sanjus story: Bhandarkar
Madhur Bhandarkar's next movie Jail was rumoured to be inspired by actor Sanjay Dutt's troubled life. But the filmmaker rules out any such resemblance.
To maintain the authenticity that he has always attempted to showcase through his films like Chandni Bar, Page 3 and the recent Fashion, the director is also trying to get permission to shoot the film in real prisons. "I'm working towards shortlisting three-four jails, but I have to first get the permission to shoot there. As of now, I have been to two jails in Dehradun (Uttarakhand) and to the Yerawada jail in Pune," he said. Though Bhandarkar wants to show all that he saw in those jails, he says it won't be possible due to time constraints. "I saw a lot of things when I went to these jails. I would like to use all the aspects from the jails in the movie, but when one is making a two-hour, 15-minute movie, how much can one put in? I can't put in everything, but I'll try to add as much as I can to retain an authentic flavour," he said. The multiple National Award-winning director has zeroed in on Neil Nitin Mukesh and Mugdha Godse to play the lead roles in Jail. "I saw this boy in Johnny Gaddar. He has a very smart face but at the same time, he has some fragility too. That's why I cast him. His face is so close to Parag Dixit, the protagonist of my movie," said Bhandarkar. Talking about his entry into the small screen, Bhandarkar said, "The television and film industry are very much together now. A lot of people from the film industry are going to TV and vice versa. After Fashion, I wanted to produce something for television and Sony asked me to make 12 different stories for them. "I had several women-centric ideas, but I couldn't make films on them, so I thought it would be nice to make one-hour short films on those. We offer a mixed bag on domestic violence, comedies, thrillers, love stories and relationships," he said.
IANS |
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Billion bets on Slumdog Millionaire
Will Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire strike gold at the Oscars? A whopping Rs.2 billion ($41 million) is said to be riding on that question, as bookies pitch for the rags-to-riches drama, setting off a new betting trend in India.
The Oscar awards ceremony is Feb 22, and the film set in India has 10 nominations. This includes three entries for music maestro A.R. Rahman's background score and two songs. And they have all emerged as clear favourites with the bookies. India has traditionally seen a lot of betting in sports, especially cricket. "This is yet another new trend picking up in Indian betting circles. Probably this will be the first time when both bookies and punters in the country are placing bets on the Oscars," a Mumbai-based bookie said. Rahman has been nominated for Best Original Score and his songs Jai Ho and O Saaya are also up for the Best Original Song for a motion picture. "Punters are crazy about
A.R. Rahman. The reason behind placing bets on Rahman could be his high status in the Indian entertainment industry. The Indian connection to the movie also makes it favourite among the punters," said a punter. Last month the film won four Golden Globes and recently bagged seven British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards. The BAFTA win has fuelled its Oscar chances. While international websites began accepting bets on "Slumdog Millionaire" as soon as the Oscar nominations were announced, the Indian bookies reacted to it later. Outside India too huge money is riding on Slumdog Millionaire and its director. On betting site Paddy Power, both the film and Danny Boyle have odds of 2/5 (0.4) to win the Best Picture and Best Director, respectively. According to the famous US-based betting website betus.com, the money line for "Slumdog Millionaire" is 250. For Danny Boyle, it is 225. This is because both are hot favourites to win in their respective categories. In the international bookies circuit, however, there are no bets for Rahman winning the Oscars as most of the bets are on the acting, best film and best director categories.
IANS |
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Dev D smoking hot!
On a high after the success of Dev D, director Anurag Kashyap admitted that he was nervous before the release of the movie as his last film No Smoking was panned by critics and audience alike. "Everyone had so many expectations from No Smoking but after watching the movie people thought that I had completely lost it. 'Muje unko movie samjhani padi' (I had to make them understand the movie). So, I was very nervous because I didn't want the same thing to happen to Dev D," he said.
"This time the movie was easily understood by the audience because of the treatment and also because most of them could relate to it, one-way or the other," he added. Kashyap, 36, known for making hard-hitting and dark movies like Black Friday, revealed that Dev D was his attempt to make a soft movie but he failed in that too. "I guess it is in my genes to make such hard-hitting movies. I just can't help it. Even if I try to make a light movie, it will still have some dark shades," Kashyap maintained. Talking about the word emotional atyachaar that has already became a rage among youngsters, Kashyap said: "Ideas happen just like this only. One day I was sleeping and suddenly this word came into my mind and the rest is the history." After giving two back-to-back flops, No Smoking and Hanuman Returns, Kashyap has managed to get good reviews from the critics for Dev D and he still can't digest the fact that one among them gave him five-star rating. "These critics have bashed me so many times that I was prepared for any kind of criticism but to my surprise I got a five-star rating for the movie. Kashyap's next release is much delayed Gulal that is finally hitting the screens March 13. Also, Kashyap alongwith Madhur Bhandarkar, Mahesh Manjrekar and Vikram Bhatt will direct a mini series Specials@10 for Sony. Directors will work independently for their series that will telecast March 2 from Monday to Thursday at 10 p.m. "This is a brilliant idea because people are bored of watching reality shows and long soaps on the television. A 12 episode series like this helps in attracting audience attention," Kashyap said. After directing the series, Kashyap is planning to take a break and make a sci-fi or a comic caper. "I do not know what next, but yes I want to take a break and go somewhere for holiday. I guess I deserve that," he said. IANS |
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Rajasthan Art and Craft Festival offers sumptuous delicacies
If you equate just daal, bati, churma to Rajasthani cuisine, then Rajasthan Art and Craft Festival at Rajasthan Bhavan-33 is the place to head to. The eight-day fest offers everyday its authentic buffet for lunch and dinner with a different menu lined up for every meal.
"Also, we want to bring out that Rajasthanis do not eat daal bati all the time. The food is rich and diverse but mainly dependent on wheat, bajra or other grains rather than green vegetables due to availability. Also, the food preparations are rich in ghee and spices. Such heavy food goes well with Rajsthani way of life that requires hard work," he added. The menu lines up various Rajsthani delicacies like belwa kachori, matar kachori, bajre ki roti, wheat khichra, dhokla churma, badi, alu dum, gatta, chilre ka raita, mewa khichri, mirchi bada, along with various sorts of chatnis and papars. Apart from food, also available is famous mirchi pakoras and daal and pyaj kachories.
Folk dances
The artistes of Girdhar Kala Sansthan, Jaipur are performing various solo and folk dances under the banner of Dangi and Party. "The folk dances present rural Rajasthan life. Garband is a dance that captures women making ornaments to be tied around camel's neck. Tamba kuri is a song and dance sequence in which men and women argue about smoking. The other songs peeli lugri, piyu piyu, dikipuri ka raja bring forth some other cultural aspects of the princely state," tells Kalpana Varma, an artiste from Jaipur, who has been performing for last 8 years. Kokila Parmar, the teacher and dancer on her third visit to the city says, "I have been into dance for last 17 years and performed with my students all over the country as well abroad. I love getting back to Chandigarh as the
audience' response here is very enthusiastic." TNS
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Sarod with orchestra
Titled Samaagam, Seagram's 100 Pipers Pure Music in association with Scotland and the British Council will present a unique project, bringing together the greatest living sarod player, Amjad Ali Khan, one of the UK's most pioneering young classical artists and one of Europe's leading chamber orchestras, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, in a meeting of the musical cultures of the East and West at the highest level.
Samagaam was first performed in London in June 2008 and India is only the second country to have the privilege of participating in this rare experience. The tour began in Mumbai on February 8 and has travelled to Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore and will be held in Chandigarh on February 18, followed by New Delhi on February 20. Over the course of two years, Amjad Ali Khan and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra have worked
together to produce a work that truly brings together Eastern and Western music traditions. SAMAAGAM will be a concerto for sarod and orchestra, notated and conducted by David Murphy.
TNS
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Lawn Rangers
Green has always been fascinating. The colour as well as the foliage. Have them in the pots or in soil, have them hanging or have them creeping, they are always a pleasure to look at and be with.
And well, its not only flowering plants that leave a smile on your face but thorny beauties called the cactus and green leafy ones named Bonsai too are quite appealing. This week we step into Major General, C.S Bewli's garden in sector-36 and take a look at his greens. Bond with Bonsai
Talking about the variety he says, "There are various varieties I have the miniature, broom and the cascading Bonsai's. The miniature bonsai grows up to 6 inches and the broom is bigger than that." Take care
Spiked splendor
On how can the Bonsai's be developed he says, "Bonsai can be developed from seeds or cuttings, from young trees or from naturally occurring stunted trees transplanted into containers. Apart from pruning and repotting, their branches and trunk are wired so that they grow into desired shapes." That's not all he has a wide variety of cactus plants too. Talking about these thorny beauties he says, Cactus has always been a passion for me. Defining them he says, "There are two varieties in cactus-one is cacti and the other is succulents. All cacti are succulents but all succulents are not cactus. And the majority of cacti are succulents with fleshy stems adapted for water storage and photosynthesis and leaves reduced to spines or needles. These are arid plants who need less care than other plants and the golden rule to grow cactus is less water and lot of sunshine." With varieties as Euphorbia Milli Hybrid (evolved in Japan) to Gymnocalycium Mihanovichii, Aloe and the latest to join the gang Leutchenbergia principis and Ferrocactus herarie variegated have come from Bhubaneswar. Garden ornament
Having decked up his garden with clay pots, ceramic figurines and drift wood pieces, the best feature of the garden is the marble table top on a live tree. |
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Automatic parking
With another set of hi-tech multiplex and swanky interiors, it boasts of a first-time ever, high on science parking system. Well, of course it is nothing straight from the Star Wars, but an automised parking security system that will to some extent solve your parking woes. With an automated ticket dispensor, sensors that keep a check on the motion of your car in the parking and image sensors that spell out the complete biography of the car in the control room, you don't have to answer to the cumbersome parking wallahs. "The entire system and the three floors of parking have sensory loops and has PL control that gives all the updates about the cars in the parking area. So when the parking is full, there is a red light that appears on the gate to give an intimation," says Rohit, the in-charge of the parking system. It works on an Italian system and the technology is imported from Italy as well, and developed By Product Promoters in India. With plans of incorporating more such systems, the chances of that perfect multiplex weekend looks brighter.
TNS |
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Connected via Internet
Scientists have of late started to consider the Internet to be a great tool to carry out social research. Thomas Dietz, Michigan State University researcher and director of the university's Environmental Science and Policy Program, says that the is increasingly moving beyond its use as an online messaging platform to a virtual world where social interaction and communities can inform social science and its applications in the real world.
"Although social scientists, engineers and physical scientists have studied the World Wide Web as an entity in and of itself for some time, there is now a growing group of social scientists who are learning how to use the World Wide Web as a tool for research rather than as a subject of research," he said at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Chicago. He revealed that University of Michigan political science professor Arthur Lupia had observed that new virtual communities were improving surveys and transforming social science. "Lupia is one of the world's leaders related to survey research on the Web. His focus is on learning to use the Web as a way of soliciting people's opinions and getting factual information from them via online surveys," Dietz said. He also revealed that Adam Henry, a doctoral fellow in the Sustainability Science Program at Harvard University's Center for International Development, was working on novel ways to measure social networks using the World Wide Web. "Henry is developing very innovative ways to identify networks that are actual face-to-face relationships by tracking evidence streams on the Web. In other words, it's not simply about who's connected to whom on Facebook or Twitter, but who's doing research with whom in the real world. It's using the virtual world to identify things that are going on in the real world rather than using the virtual world simply to look at the virtual world," he said. Dietz also revealed that William Bainbridge, program director for the National Science Foundation's Human-Centered Computing Cluster, was studying the role of social science in creating virtual worlds. "Bainbridge is studying group formation and social change over time in virtual worlds such as 'World of Warcraft' and 'Second Life' to inform and build on what sociologists have studied for 150 years," he said. "He contends that virtual worlds are excellent laboratories for observing and prototyping new social forms that can later be applied to the outside world," he added.
ANI |
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Pioneer in India
Never mind the slowdown, Pioneer India Electronics Pvt Ltd (PIEL), a subsidiary of Pioneer Corporation, Japan, the global leader in car audio entertainment and home electronics, is now introducing its car audio systems in India. Customised to Indian market, the company announced the launch of six sensational in-car sound systems.
Aiming at bridging the gap between home and car entertainment experience, the company will launch its first retail outlet in India at Ambience Mall, Gurgaon. "Today's generation of drivers are continually looking for different ways to bring their home entertainment experience into the car and Pioneer audio products aims to satisfy this customer need," said Takashi Yoshida, Managing Director, PIEL. Keeping in mind the peculiarities of the Indian consumer, five of the six models come equipped with a protective dust cover. The film cover is designed specially to act as a shield against dust particles from the environment. Two of the six models also boast of a large Dot-Matrix OEL display. This allows for clear viewing from any position, even in sunlight.
TNS |
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Green desktop
Already in the over flooded desktop market comes another. HP has launched the Compaq Presario CQ 2000 series, a sleek, eco-friendly machine at a price of INR 18,990 plus taxes.
The CQ 2000 is a space-saving device designed for the modern households. Like they say "Great things come in small packages" and so does CQ 2000. The desktop replaces music system and DVD player as it doubles up as a multi media machine on which you can watch movies, play games, attach it to your LCD monitors and speakers or watch online video clips on You tube. To make the offer more exciting, the CQ 2000 comes with the Compaq My Bhasha software, a communication enabler providing vernacular interface. The CQ 2000 is stylishly designed, is light in weight and heavy on goodness, plus it fits almost anywhere most conveniently. With a 6-in-1 digital media reader and USB drives one just need to plug in. The CQ 2000 is also energy star certified for being energy efficient.
TNS |
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Top talkers
As per Cisco's VNI forecast, the global mobile traffic was projected to increase 66 fold between 2008 and 2013 with a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 131 per cent. The global mobile traffic will exceed two exabytes per month by 2013. Nearly 64 per cent of the world's mobile traffic will be video by 2013. Mobile video will grow at a CAGR of 150 per cent between 2008 and 2013. Latin America is projected to have the strongest mobile growth at 166 per cent CAGR followed by the Asia-Pacific region at 146 per cent. "The CISCO' VNI mobile forecast finding reflect the trend that consumers will use a variety of services applications, and devices to drive an increase in mobile traffic", said Suraj Shetty, Vice President of Service Provider Marketing. "The key to success will be delivering video-rich-and play services to users enabling them to move freely throughout the world while maintaining connectivity", said Kelly Ahuja, Senior VP, Service Provider Routing Technology Group.
PTI |
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Star signs
Blackberry and beyond
My priciest gadget is the Blackberry Bold cellphone that my husband gifted me. I access the Internet through it, which helps me keep a tab on the latest fashion in the international market. Also, I keep myself abreast of the latest developments across the world by reading online newspapers on it. Web work
My apple laptop comes handy when I am at work. I use it for designing clothes for my just launched clothes brand, Ara. It has all the right software installed that help me in doing my work. The launch of an official website for the clothes range is on the cards. People will then be able to check out prices, latest designs and do online shopping from the stores that sell the Ara brand. As for now, one can check the range of collection at the krazestyle.com website. Booked to Facebook
I joined Facebook around a year back and have loved it ever since. It helped me get in touch with my school pals which otherwise wouldn't have been possible. It has helped me in reuniting with old friends and the best part is that it lets you know what your friends are doing minute-by-minute. I access it daily and for the security reasons, I have conditioned it accordingly. It is user friendly and provides a lot of privacy. Music savvy
Listening to music was never so much fun as it is now with i-Pods that can store any number of songs. I am a music lover and so it is a must-have gadget for me, especially when I am working out in the gym. Youtube is another option from where I download my favourites in English and Hindi. |
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Five years in the industry and an equal count of films to her credit, but that doesn't deviate Gul Panag from her priority. She spells it for us, "I have always aspired to do different roles." Here she gets a little more serious about the topic and adds, "I want to leave my foot prints in the history of cinema and wish to be remembered as a credible actor." Vying to be known as a part of the path-breaking cinema, Gul perhaps knows how to do it best. "I am committed to acting career and would want to do only meaningful roles. Mere dancing and singing around trees doesn't satisfy me," says Gul who was in town to promote her film and the newly opened multiplex, FAME.
An adventure freak, Gul also let's us know about the latest addition to her passion for adventure sports, "After having done mountain climbing and river rafting, I have bought a mountain bike that I'll be soon riding in the hills." 
"The film Jail is not at all inspired by Sanjay Dutt's or anyone's life. It is a common man's perspective about how he gets into jail and how he gets stuck in a situation. It is about a middle-class family boy working in the corporate sector and how after one sudden incident, he goes to jail," said Bhandarkar.
Apart from regular daal, bati, churma, there are options: "We are offering food keeping in mind the traditions of Rajasthan. Various meals see different options like mong daal, bhat, lapsi, cooked traditionally as an offering to gods on special occasions like wedding or diwali. The food is cooked with traditional spices and no ginger or garlic is used in the preparations, " tells Shyam Sunder Bagri, organiser, kitchen.
Rajasthan festival will showcase various cultural programmes every evening between 7 pm to 10 pm. The programmes will include khartal vadan, chari dance, banjara dance, bhawai dance, ghumer, kach ghori, kalbelia dance, fire dance, chakri, taraju dance, besides songs, ghazals and rajasthani folk songs. 
What if we talk of planting a forest in a pot? Let the eyes not pop out! As we are referring to the art of Bonsai, though it's not a difficult art, but needs ample patience, determination and the art of know how to do it. Maj Gen Bewli who has created his own set of Bonsai's with seedlings says, "Bonsai is the art of cultivating miniature trees and developing them into an aesthetically appealing shape by growing, pruning and training them in containers according to prescribed techniques." 
"Creating miniature plants doesn't mean that you starve the plants. In fact, given an adequate supply of water, air, light and nutrients, a properly maintained Bonsai will mostly outlive a full size tree of the same species and can live up to 100 years. And the best way to keep them healthy is to transfer the plant into new pots every two to three years (depending on the species and how fast the plant grows) and when doing so trim the roots a little as it is the thinner fibrous roots that take food to the rest of the plant. Well, it is not just enough to plant a tree in a pot and allow nature to take its course, every branch and twig of a bonsai needs to be shaped or eliminated until you get the image of your choice. From then on, the image needs to be maintained and improved by a constant regime of pruning and trimming." 
On a shopping frenzy, taking all chances in the sale season, catching the latest movie, binging on caramel popcorn and a careless dinner in the end- this is the perfect multiplex idea of our weekend. But a parking lot with a FULL board is the moment of truth. And that moment you know that the wait has just begun. And with a new addition to the existing malls in the tricity, the FAME Shalimar mall in Panchkula, the parking just got fuller.
The company seems to be riding piggyback on the buoyant car market in India. The company is upbeat on the growth prospects in the Rs 1200 crore in-car entertainment market in India and is launching car audio systems customized for the domestic market. Pioneer is targeting original equipment manufacturer and consumer markets to garner a prominent position in this segment. 
Asia Pacific will account for one-third for all mobile data traffic by 2013, according to the CISCO Visual Networking Index (VNI).
Mobile broadband handsets with higher than 3g speed and laptop air or data cards will constitute more than 80 per cent of global mobile traffic by 2013, it said.
When you have the Kapoor surname tag along with you, success is assured. And, this Kapoor khandaan girl is no different. Riddhima Kapoor too has achieved a lot, but on her own terms and conditions. As she next says, "A huge fan following or pancake makeup that heroines do to look pretty has never fascinated me, rather it were the cuts of clothes that they and supermodels wear, I found my interest lying." Well, there is something else, she loves to do, "I love to shop the latest gadgets and makes sure to have them as soon as they enter the market." She lets us know more on how tech savvy she is.