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Reigning & budding beauties
Flashing cameras, the best profiles, innocent faces and well, of course proud parents. The most happening event of rose festival-the Rose Princess and Prince, was nothing short of a beauty pageant. Throwing their sweet little charms everywhere were over 250 kids from across the region, competing for their crowning glory. So when the winners were announced some had tears in their eyes, hey not because of winning a pageant but because of disturbed sleep and well there were others pretty poised for cameras. The lucky-on-their-first-time were Gurman Kaur Hans and Kabir Singh Narula, the Rose Princess and Prince respectively. "We decided to participate at the last moment and it feels great now that she is a Princess," said Gurman's father Jaswinder Pal Singh. But for Kabir, his father thinks his naughty smile did the magic. "He was naughty throughout the competition and enjoyed doing stuff like arranging the toys," said Manvinder S Narula. The senior stars, in the category of two to three years, were not new to the limelight. "My daughter has also won the baby show that was held in January in Mohali. So I was pretty confident. Otherwise her grooming credit goes to her grandparents. It was her last chance this year to win the crown and I am happy that she won," said an elated Amarjot Kaur, mother of Sanjeet Grewal, Rose Princess in the 2 to 3 year category. Paavan Singh, Rose Prince in the 1 to 2 years category, followed the legacy of his mother who was the rose princess in 85. "We had come from Amsterdam on a family visit and now Paavan is a star overnight," says Rashmeet Kaur, his mother. The other events included flower arrangement that saw Malhotra family-Simmi and children Aastha and Ankit bagging seven prizes in different flower arrangement categories. There were cultural events too and reigning beauties of ramp set things alight in a fashion show organised last evening. The showstoppers were Miss India beauties Simran Kaur Mundi and Tanvi Vyas. lifestyle@tribunemail.com
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From the left seat
Sitting left to the rallyist, is the person who can drive him to the winning post, if all goes well. And if it doesn’t, well, then a 10 feet slide awaits both of them. He is none other but the man who guides the driver by the road book— The navigator. In fact, it is a competent, skilled, focused navigator who can make or break a rallyist dream of crossing the finish line, first. And you thought only a roadworthy car and aggressive driver makes for a winning combo for any rally. Khuswant Randhawa from Patiala navigated for three years before he switched to the right side of the gypsy. And it is now that he can put worth candidly, “‘It’s not easy being a navigator.” As per this rally champion, navigators do almost 50% of the work at any rally, and they definitely contribute quiet a bit in win or loss. “Navigator reads out the route to the driver from the road book. It is he who guides the ‘busy’ driver how to go about on the road, whether he should slow down at the triple caution or take a sharp turn from the right and if it’s the drivers lucky day, the navigator can also guide him to a 10 feet deep slide.” As for Varun Davessar, who is navigating for Sandeep Sharma at the Desert Storm 2009, a navigator has to be accurate to the hilt in his readings of the route ahead. “He should be able to understand the drivers brain and at the same time be able to concentrate on navigation,” says Varun. “In addition to this, a navigator should share a good rapport with the driver, lest they don’t want to end up in a crash. The driver reacts immediately to the navigators instructions, so, there is no scope for any mistake.” Talking of mistakes, Khuswant tells how a gypsy tumbled down in 2007 rally due to navigators slight mistake. “There were many people, especially girls watching this rally. The navigator somehow got distracted, missed the triple caution and there went the gypsy. Now, you know why a slight hiccup can be fatal. In addition to this, the navigator and the driver should share a good rapport.” Now that he knows that navigating is not a child’s play, Khuswant teaches amateur rallyist and nav rules of the game. “I teach youngsters how to make notes during the recce and the drivers as to how to understand and respond to the navigators directions.” Concentration, reliable, accurate, confident, a navigator has to be loaded with these attributes. Not to forget someone, who can read road book without any jerks and is not carried away by a pretty face spectator standing to cheer the rallyist. jasmine@tribunemail.com
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Dilli darshan
Mona Buckle up for another geri of country's most famous cultural gali— Chandni Chowk. After the loony exploits of a lowly potato peeler Sidhu (Akshay Kumar in C2TC), it's the turn of talented Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra to explore Delhi-6. And the filmmaker, known for his riveting Rang De Basanti, doesn't disappoint as he deftly creates a microcosm which goes on to address wider concerns. Roshan (Abhishek Bachchan), a second generation NRI, is on a hurried tour to India from Manhattan with this ailing Dadi (Waheeda Rehman) in tow who is adamant to be dropped at their ancestral haveli in the chaotic Chandni Chowk. The very fact that the place which is crumbling under the sheer weight of humanity thronging its bylanes, is filled with an air of accommodation, amazes and amuses Roshan, a first-timer in India. Soon our half-Hindu, half-Muslim, boy (sans American accent and Delhi-belly) falls for a footloose and fancy-free girl next door, Bittu (Sonam Kapoor), who is as chirpy as her pigeon Masakali. No Dilli darshan is complete without its people. So we have a collage of characters ranging from sparring brothers (Om Puri, Pavan Malhotra), their wives (Supriya Pathak and Sheeba Chaddha) who share lives through a loose brick in the courtyard wall dividing the two houses, an aging but greedy moneylender (Prem Chopra) who loves to flaunt his young wife, who, in turn, enjoys afternoon romps with the slimy photographer to a corrupt power-wielding cop (Vijay Raaz), a simpleton (Atul Kulkarni) with a heart of gold, a sweet vendor and a fiery sweeper girl ( Divya Dutta). Amidst this cultural conundrum, we also have a Kala Bandar (Monkey Man), wonderful symbolism, which is wreaking havoc on Capital's streets. The film begins to capture the bigger picture of a neighbourhood as it brings to the surface the raft of conflicts involving families, politicians and two religious communities, the Hindus and the Muslims. Finally, Roshan, an outsider till now, finds himself embroiled in the mess. Will he be able to come out of it unscathed? The answer lies in the climax. What works - a feel-good script by Mehra and Prasoon Joshi. The writer knows Delhi like the back of his hand and this aptly reflects in his storytelling. But the movie becomes special mainly because of the finely etched out characters, who dwell in its screenplay. Each and every character has been created with love and compassion. Note the emptiness in the eyes of Roshan's uncle Rishi Kapoor, who still regrets of having missed the bus as he didn't have the courage to declare his love years ago. The film is loaded with symbolism with the director holding a mirror to the society - where Bhagwaan also understands the meaning of kursi -through the monkey man and Ramlila episodes. The portrayal of a country which is leaping ahead in terms of technology but is also clinging on to superstitions and untouchability is remarkable. So is the faith gap shown between individuals. Particularly funny is a scene where the dadi collapses all of a sudden and has to be rushed to a hospital on a rickshaw, which gets stalled by a sea of humanity that is witnessing a cow in labour. While Abhishek is worried about ensuring timely medical help to the old lady, she is seen miraculously recovering from her fit and paying obeisance to the Holy Cow. Bachchan Jr does a neat job. He is in good touch post Dostana. The leading lady looks alluring and hits the right notes throughout. However, the glorious side cast is the real show stealer. Another highpoint is AR Rahman's soulful score. Masakali is already a chartbuster. Binod Pradhan's camera work is top notch. Watch it for the Incredible India feel. mona@tribunemail.com
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Fitting Freida
She has stunned style divas with her sartorial elegance at red carpet events and made it to Vogue's best-dressed list. And now Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto is sure to make a splash at the Oscars, say Indian designers. "She carries herself with poise and knows what to wear and when," said designer Alpana of the label Azara. While many Indians are keeping their fingers crossed for the film at the February 22 ceremony, they are also hoping that Freida will hold her own among the galaxy of stars at the Academy Awards. Freida's stylist, George Kotsiopoulos, says she is on the wish list of many designers and brands. Even designer Jemima Khan, ex-wife of Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan, has expressed a desire to dress up Pinto for the Oscars. Freida has, however, received flak from some Indian designers for wearing only international designers and Western dresses at red carpet events."I am not against her wearing international designers but I wanted her to wear at least one Indian outfit at any of these events,” designer Rahul of label Sarali said. Others say it's her choice and should be left at that."I do not understand why there is a fuss about her not wearing any Indian designer. She has an international stylist and the fact remains that the whole project is international with Indian stars in it. So they are doing what they think is good for her as well as for the movie," designer Manav Gangwani said. — IANS
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Leaks & lies
A document purportedly listing the 'winners' of this weekend's Academy Awards has been published on the Internet. The authentic-looking document, which seems to have been scanned in, has an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences letterhead and what looks like the signature of the Academy's president, Sid Ganis. According to the list, Kate Winslet has won best actress gong for The Reader and Mickey Rourke has bagged best actor award for The Wrestler. Heath Ledger has been named best supporting actor for The Dark Knight and Amy Adams has won best supporting actress gong for Doubt. Slumdog Millionaire has been named the best film while its director Danny Boyle has honoured with best director award. However, an Academy Awards rep has branded the list a 'complete fraud' and has said that the Oscar votes are still being counted. "The document is a complete fraud," Oscars spokesperson Leslie Unger said. "PricewaterhouseCoopers is still counting the ballots and there are only two people there who will know the complete list of winners in advance of the envelopes being opened during the ceremony. —ANI
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Play time
With a rare confluence of similar traits of performing, criticising and authoring book on playwright, legend Dr Kulbir Kaur rightly breathes theatre. Her close surveillance of human thought and emotions as reflected in her poetry, theatrical performances and now a book on theatre Hindustani Rang Manch ka Sunehari Yug, Dr Kulbir Kaur Virk looks aesthetically matured than her years. An alumnus of Department of Theatre and Television Punjabi University Patiala of 1997 batch she was awarded Ph D in 2005 for her dissertation works of legendry playwright Mohan Rakesh and comparative study of his contemporaries.
Besides a Masters in Punjabi from PU, she had secured a degree in Yoga with a sole aim of exploring the possibility of theatrical embellishments through Yogic expertise. She finds substance in her endeavor to approach innovations in writing and practicing theatre. Having acted in scores of plays Zafarnama, Balde Tibbe, Jahi puchho Sadhu ki, Parinde hun, Mein parat aya to name a few. However playing four diverse roles in Bole So Nihal in as many as twenty-one theatre shows in USA and Canada were memorable. Commenting on the perfect Presentation of play, Kulbir while identifying eight technical elements like the thematic content, social relevance, script, actors potential and alike feels that all must be maintained in a logical balance. None of the single element be allowed to dominate in a production, she adds. The contemporary relevance to the socio- cultural milieu is important to ensure popular receptivity of the play. Kulbir claims the decade between 1960-70 as the golden period of theatre in India as it bloomed to a stage spectacles unlike the earlier plays which had more literary significance. Though her research study mainly centered around Mohan Rakesh, she had also made a comprehensive review of the contemporary playwrights Girish Karnad, Vijay Tendulkar, Surender Verma, Badal Sircar, Balwant Gargi and Mohit Chatterjee.
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Country colours
It wasn’t a competition actually but just a mere comparison, which got a little serious. As we got to see drawings in insipid hues of grey and oil paintings in bright red, sparkling yellow, radiant orange, and subtle green, we thought of settling the debate, which of the two colour schemes look more attractive? Unable to decide, we asked the artist Gavi Gangadhara, “The contrast of black and white is engrossing and different colours put together on the canvas is pleasing.” The description did us little good and we thought we would talk about it later and discuss the rather relevant part—the theme of paintings. Gavi adds, “Of all the 33 paintings and drawings in total, all are based on rural Karnataka. I have tried to portray its culture, tradition and lifestyle of people who live in villages.” Any specific reason? “I have spent my entire childhood there. In fact, the more important reason to paint on the theme is, now the beauty of rural India is fading away,” reasons Gavi who is an employee of BMTC, in Bangalore. His paintings narrate his journey of how he has seen the scenario change in the villages, “Urban India has cast its spell on rural India now. Not just the structures have become concrete, even people in villages are trying hard to adopt the city lifestyle. Nature has become expendable, a part that was so much indispensable of villages.” His paintings have so aptly showcased the social life of villagers. Back to the colour scheme debate, “Black and white makes for an interesting contrast and is enough to render completeness to any drawing and bright colours they reflect the pure life of rural India”. Can’t help, the debate will go on! On at Govt museum and Art Gallery-10 till February 25
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A month or two to go and it’s going to be summer vacations, in other words time to travel. Taking the cue, India travel mart brings to city International Travel Exhibition. So, anybody who’s anyone in the travel industry is there. Unfortunately, people offering holidays outnumbered the takers for them, or so it seemed. Some of the names at the exhibition included, Club Mahindra Holidays. The tourism boards seemed to outnumber the travel agencies, resorts and hotels, spas, with tourism boards of Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Andaman, Uttarakhand, Himachal, Haryana and even Mauritius Tourism, present. —TNS On till 23rd February at Hotel Shivalikview-17
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TAROT TALK ARIES: You draw ‘The World’ so this is a good time for relaxing recreation, a time to refresh and rejuvenate yourself and do the things you most enjoy doing. Good humour and optimism prevail now, and you are able to get a larger perspective on your life. Lucky colour: White. Tip of the week: “Where there is a will, there is a way” is an old saying that holds true in your case this week. TAURUS: ‘The Princess of Swords’ brings you face to face with truth and clarity in personal and professional situations. The exalted Mars will add charm to your life. Time has arrived when you can expect a hard taskmaster to behave like putty in your hands. Lucky colour: Peacock blue. Tip: Don’t forsake a new learning opportunity because of pride. GEMINI: Your card “Ace of Swords” shows overall a prosperous week. Family issues may be on your mind. Children will make you proud. Pay attention to your investment decisions on Thursday. Don’t spend more than you have, fiscally or emotionally. Lucky colour: Sea green. Tip: You should pursue your goals without a thought for the disapproval. CANCER: ‘The Magus’ blesses you sensitivity and creativity in whatever you do. There is a great deal of start-up energy working for you on Monday. You may feel as if you are walking on hot coals on Tuesday. Get ready for a party. Lucky colour: Creamy white. Tip: Plan your life to avoid the in build delays that comes your way. LEO: Your card ‘The Empress’ encourages a step, as a period will give you a better chance. Do not hide your opinions for it could annoy others. If you are willing to share ideas you will gain utmost satisfaction as previous experience has proved to you. Lucky colour: Brown. Tip: Nobody has deliberately let you down, so keep going and don’t allow your confidence to be dented. VIRGO: ‘Three Golden Cups’ full of light and pomegranate flowers greet you wonderful feeling on Saturday. You feel moody and easily moved by whatever is happening in your environment and less resistant to outside forces. Finances can be taken care. Lucky colour: Orange. Tip: Work could pose certain minor difficulties but don’t worry. LIBRA: ‘The chariot’ brings you face to face with truths and priorities in this week. Communications, conversations and taking care of routine tasks require mental clarity. Buying, selling, or negotiating is likely to go well on Wednesday. Lucky colour: Royal blue. Tip: Do what is right and watch your best interests. SCORPIO: ‘The Moon’ drawn by sphinxes brings light into darkness. Progressive changes are on the cards. You delegate responsibility and allow others to flower and grow. Tonight has a social and domestic flavour to it, so have guests over for dinner on Monday. Lucky colour: Maroon. Tip: You gain by being practical; don’t be emotional. SAGITTARIUS: ‘The Queen of Wands’ allow you to achieve professional success with calm authority. Student may need to go slow. Family situations will be generally peaceful and there will be spiritual activities in the family. Your sense of humour takes you smoothly out of difficult situation. Lucky colour: Golden brown. Tip: You find within yourself a fountainhead of a will power. CAPRICORN: ‘The Hermit’ inspires you to climb new heights and creative ideas in this week. Your opinions are sought after by those around you. Think before you open your mouth to avoid misunderstandings on Monday. Do not be afraid of confronting negative people. Spending time near the sea of expanse of water can be calming and relaxing. Lucky colour: Grey. Tip: Empty promises are certain, therefore try to put your terms and conditions in writing. AQUARIUS: ‘The Emperor’ gets you in touch with your leadership qualities. Just move cautiously, trying tact rather than foot stamping for best results. More sensitive and emotional than usual, you want happy family relations and a peaceful domestic existence. Lucky colour: Black. Tip: You should pursue your goals without a thought for the disapproval. PISCES: ‘The Five of Pentacles’ brings many opportunities in your life. Money making ventures may just turn your life around. A romantic infatuation from your past may surface if you frequent places that you both used to go. Lucky colour: Yellow. Tip: You have to push to succeed and your efforts will pay off.
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