From ancient times, art has served one purpose that is so integral to it - a mere pretext for people to gather under one roof and enjoy it. Art has, at times, knowingly or otherwise has united them ever since. Whichever form or genre, contemporary or folk, performed at a countryside or in a well-furnished auditorium, resourced to us through a renowned artist or an ordinary performer, art has always doled out its function of attracting audiences from different backgrounds. Almost a universal truth, it will testify itself once again at the six-day Chandigarh Arts and Heritage Festival, beginning March 27. The first of its kind, the cultural event, which is being organised by the Chandigarh Arts Council in collaboration with the UT Administration, will see various art forms on display or being performed.

Of course, artists and art connoisseurs from the city have all the reasons to cheer about and Kamal Tewari, chairperson, Sangeet Natak Akademi, takes the lead, "Art entertains and educates. This festival will do both aptly, thereby catapulting the city people's love for culture to a higher level." He hopes the heritage festival will get an overwhelming response since; people will get to see different art forms here addressing their interests. "The festival aims to cater to everybody in the society by presenting all art forms. If we have a celebrity like Shubha Mudgal performing here, we will also have 400 folk dancers from across the country to present their art forms."

Says renowned photographer Diwan Manna, chairperson of the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi, "The art extravaganza will serve an opportunity for people to explore their interest in various genres. We hope the six-day festival will stimulate the audience to take interest in not just one but many art forms." Creative writing workshops by Geeta Sharma, painting workshop by Paramjit Singh and a theatre workshop by Neelam Mansingh will also be conducted during the festival. And as he further says, "These interactive sessions and workshops are going to be the high point of this festival wherein the audience will get to know more about art." Also, according to eminent art historian B.N. Goswami, "Coming together of literary and visual art forms will bring art together once again which one usually does not get to see all at one place."

Other than Shubha Mudgal, the festival will see a performance by Shekhar Sen, dance by Malavika Sarukkai, a play by Rajat Kapoor and flute recital by Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. Neelam Mansingh, famous theatre artiste, says, "The heritage festival will for the first time, bring to the city art stalwarts from various streams. In fact, events such as these will definitely introduce subtle changes in the cultural scene of the city."

ashima@tribunemail.com

Now, this is what we call ‘with a difference’! Students of School of Communication Studies were up and about the whole campus; shrieking, screeching, screaming to announce the arrival of their annual extravaganza — Soch. Here comes the ‘different’ part; departing from the unspoken rule of taking out processions (or even election rallies!) on two-wheeled and four-wheeled mean machines, the students went a la traditional, rugged and rural. Think carts, cycles, rickshaws coupled with intoxicating beats of dhol to declare, ‘we’ve arrived’!

Sure, that was for attention? Right. Reasons Kangna Agarwal, a second year student, “This was an eco-friendly option and so we thought of going ahead.” Chips in Neha Jindal, press committee member, “Also dhol is a symbol of tradition, the banging beats have an authentic Punjabi touch to them so we carried forward the idea.” Whose idea was it? The rambling blank look amidst each other spelled it. Everybody’s! Till, someone says, ‘I think one of the person did come up with it originally but it was liked and accepted by one and all’.

The procession commencing from the school itself had students dressed in white and included a thorough round of the Panjab University campus with a halt at Student’s Centre. Eager beavers atop the carts, dressed in white, could be heard emptying their lungs out over…aaya aaya Soch aaya. Well, who cares, what they said? It’s about how they said.

The three-day media festival beginning March 18, will see a swarm of activities ranging from photography, documentary screening, creative writing to Talk Jock and of course a panel discussion and cultural night.

And what about exams and submissions? It’s March, isn’t it? Laughed one of the faculty members, “Exams? They aren’t worried about the course!” The eagerness, energy, excitement, as palpable from the bunch in the field, more than testified. Says Geetu Batra, a second-year student, “There’s a popular misconception that exams and festivals can’t go together. Look at it this way, even this is part of the training and the education, where we get to hone our skills.”

manpriya@tribunemail.com

Kenya — the name itself conjures up an image that spells hot and humid weather, racism, paucity of commodities, political upheaval and a lot more. But it was on Monday that we got wise about its pleasant weather, wonderful tourism possibilities, business avenues and changing face of the country; courtesy Dr Zora Singh, chairman, Desh Bhagat Group of Institutes and his wife Tejinder Kaur (who worked for a couple of years in Kenya but came to the city to serve their region), Ravi and Tejpal Bedi (who still reside there and are in the city to start a business venture), who say the country has definitely come of an age.

And why not, its President Obama’s own land. And, when we have made a mention of the President here, let’s tell you, the Bedis have had their brush with the Obama family. As Tejpal puts it, “Our father had a spinning and weaving mill in Nakuru and President Obama’s father used to stay in Kisumu and bought clothes from our father.” Hmmm, here’s some cloth connection with the White House!

Well, that’s not all. Our very own Dev Patel, the Slumdog Millionaire guy, too has a Kenyan connection. The man and his family emigrated from the country. And it was an Oscar moment their too.

Ok, so when we are talking Bollywood, we ask how’s the cinema scene there. “Oh! Bollywood is a hit with the Africans too. We have almost 15 theatres that play Bollywood movies and that too the latest ones,” says Ravi. And, here too SRK and Big B rule (we thought so).

From Bollywood to fashion. “It’s definitely inspired by the latest movies,” says Tejinder. “Our suits and salwars are much liked by African ladies,” says Tejpal.

Now to food. “Lots of African dishes our like Indian khana. They have chicken biryani like we have and eat a lot of spices,” says Tejpal. He adds, “It’s not only food that is somewhat similar but there are a few words that sound similar like Punjabi words. They say Semdoku what we call sunduk in Punjabi, kutchmbari as we say kutuchmbar and so on.” Well, that’s interesting, but it can be related to the Arab settlements along the coast and the Portuguese control over the area in the early 1500s. And yes it is more than 40 ethnic groups that reside in Kenya.

A close-knit community of Asians, Tejinder says, “All festivals are celebrated in Kenya and especially the marriages. They are a grand affair. They have lavish parties and all the people of the Asian community are invited.”

So far so good, but we can’t stop from asking about racism. “It’s no more there. Yes, till 60’s we had separate clubs for Europeans, Asians and the black, and we couldn’t visit few hotels or clubs but its no more the same.”

jigyasachimra@tribunemail.com

Big Ben, one of the best-known landmarks in the world, is about to receive a public relations makeover. According to The Guardian and The Observer, Colman Getty, the public relations team that represents Nigella Lawson and J. K. Rowling, will shortly mastermind a countrywide celebration of the iconic clock.

The aim of the publicity drive, commissioned by the House of Commons, is to reinforce the power of the clock as an international symbol of modern Britain.

But some has ridiculed the plan.

Historian and TV presenter Dan Cruickshank commented: “We don’t need a rethink of Big Ben. It has an extraordinary mixed pedigree and that is what makes it such a gripping piece of architecture. It is an example of Britain’s peculiar brand of modernism before European modernism really got underway. We should be celebrating its historical associations and not trying to update them.” Stephen Bayley, the Observer’s architecture critic, agreed. “Maybe we should put a luminous digital display in the clock tower to advertise London’s breathless modernismo? Or maybe not,” he said.

“Big Ben is fine as it is. If politicians want to improve London’s image, they don’t need to fix what ain’t broke. They could start by looking at the dire reality of third-world roadworks, squalor, chaos, congestion and mess.” In May, a series of high-profile events will mark the 150th anniversary of the moment when the hands on the four clock faces at the top of architect Augustus Pugin’s tower began to keep time.

But the challenge facing the PR company is how to find a way to make such a historic building seem relevant.

Travel agents frequently use the image of the clock to sell the country abroad, but some are concerned that many of the emblems of London recognised by foreigners, including bowler hats and Routemaster buses, are out of date. — ANI

Many people who spend let say Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 to buy a plasma TV let themselves and the TV down by not connecting the cables right and not buying the correct ones. Because of this the display you get out of your plasma and sound quality through speakers is not as good as it should be, you can improve the performance by just buying and hooking the cables right.

Cable quality: First off all you need to choose the type of cable you need - composite, component, S-Video, AV, DVI (digital) or HDMI (digital). Next, you need to go out and buy these cables, basically you get what you pay for most of the time. I recommend going out and purchasing these cables which are made by a good brand and it would be even better if you are able to find Oxygen-free cables they have minimum signal loss ratio as compared to other wires. However, if you cannot afford to buy cables this expensive go for ones that are slightly cheaper, they still work good and will do a fine job. Whatever you do but do not buy the normal standard everyday cables that you see in the everyday shops. These will make your picture loss quality and defeats the purpose of having a plasma TV.

Cable length: Whenever you run cables from high quality electronics like plasma TVs you want to keep the cables as short as possible. This is because the longer cables run for the more the signal in the cable losses quality. I normally say to find out how far the cable needs to run and than have 2 ft excess. This will mean that one, the cables sit comfortable and are not stretched and second, if you need to pull out your plasma TV or electrical component than you can do so without the cables stretching or coming loose.

Static interference on cables: It is a proven fact that cables and power cords do not mix well, i.e. the power cords cause interference on the cables and intern may damage the visual or sound quality of your plasma. For this reason, you should not cross cables and power chords over each other rather run them at right angles to each other. Another way that interference can be causes on cables is if the excess of the cables is looped and not arranged in a figure-8.

Remember whenever you buy a plasma TV or other high quality electronic device, cabling will play a large part in how good the quality of the video and audio will be. So, make sure that you don't lack quality in this area.

amitpalsinghgrewal@hotmail.com

Stand & stares, an exhibition of photographs by Novel and Ashok Lavasa opens in the Art Gallery at Chandigarh Museum-10 on Wednesday. Lavasas are not professional photographers. While Novel has been a banker for last 27 years, Ashok is in Indian Civil Services.

Compulsive travellers by nature the Lavasas have traveled extensively in India and abroad. Their photos represent ‘spots of time’ that reflect moments gone by, moments captured, moments that can be relived. This exhibition will feature photographs of still landscapes of the mystical Zanscar, the legendary Ladakh, moving objects that lend life to nature and buildings that symbolize the glow of society.

The exhibition of their photographs has been held in New Delhi in 2006, 2007 and 2008. — TNS

On till March 22

Godrej Security Solutions (GSS) is seeking to create more awareness about the need to take a broader holistic approach to security. The GSS has initiated a series of concept-based training programmes across its sales and distribution network and is offering consultancy across industries to help them understand the specific needs and concerns within their industry. In addition to its own expert team of security consultants, it will also have on board a panel of experts comprising of ex-police and defense personnel.

Says D E Byramjee, vice-president and business head, GSS, “There is no prefixed solution and every industry has a different kind of requirement for which we will now focus more on customised intelligent security solutions.” — TNS

Get the power to take control of your pimples, blemishes and breakouts and reclaim smooth, clear, healthy looking skin everyday with Avon’s Clearskin. Packed with Avon’s clear expert technology with salicyclic acid, which has a continuous acne fighting action, it treats pimples and prevents future breakouts. Follow the four easy steps of cleansing, toning, moisturising and finally targetting and treating with the all-new Avon Clearskin range of products in order to revive and clarify pimple prone skin. So zap out those troubled spots and flaunt a radiant crystal clear complexion by befriending Avon’s Clearskin Collection. —TNS

Celebrating his 44th birthday on Saturday, Bollywood actor Aamir Khan appealed people to exercise franchise in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. “Our vote is very crucial. And, everybody should use it in the right way. First of all, we should have knowledge about all the candidates who are contesting from our constituency. More often we do not even bother to have knowledge about the candidates. We do not even have the knowledge about the number of candidates contesting and their educational background,” Aamir said while addressing the media persons and a large gathering of his fans outside his house in Bandra.

Aamir also thanked his fans for giving him support throughout his career.

“It has been an exciting journey. I am really happy and grateful for the kind of success I have got. I am very thankful to my fans who have given me support throughout my career. I am really happy with the way things have gone. It has been a learning experience. It has been an exciting journey,” said Aamir.

Born on March 14, 1965 in Mumbai, Aamir first appeared on the silver screen as a child actor in his Uncle Nasir Hussain’s film Yaadon Ki Baaraat in 1973.

Eleven years later, he made his adult acting debut in a role that went quite unnoticed in Ketan Mehta’s Holi (1984).

Khan’s first notable leading role came in 1988 in the film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, which was directed by his cousin and Nasir Hussain’s son Mansoor Khan.

After that, he went on to appear in several other films in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s: Dil (1990), which became the highest grossing film of the year, Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin (1991), Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992), Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993) (for which he also wrote the screenplay), and Rangeela (1995). Most of these films were successful critically and commercially.

In 2001 he appeared in Lagaan. The film was a major critical and commercial success, and received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 74th Academy Awards.

In 2007, with the film Taare Zameen Par he marked his directorial debut. The film earned critical acclaim and was appreciated for bringing a dyslexic child’s problems and feelings in front of society.

In 2008, Aamir appeared in the movie Ghajini. The film was a major commercial success and became the highest grosser of the year. —ANI

Popular television actor Hussain Kuwajerwala, who hosted music reality show Indian Idol for two consecutive years, says he would love to take up the show for the third time too.

“I would love to do Indian Idol again. It’s a great show - I feel very emotionally attached to it. Though it’s a singing show, it’s almost like watching a cricket match because it is entertaining and thrilling to see who would win,” Hussain said

Sitarist Anoushka Shankar, daughter of sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, says that though her father has been in the field for decades, he never interferes in her professional life and lets her do her own thing.

“My father gives me a lot of advice as a teacher in terms of my music, but not in terms of career. He lets me do my own thing. I’m separate in that way. But in music he is very much my guide and my guru; so I try and learn from him as much as I can,” Anoushka said.

Bengali actor Rituparna Sengupta, who stepped into Bollywood with Main Meri Patni Aur Woh, is all set to make her presence felt with veteran actor Amol Palekar’s directorial venture.

“Actor-director Palekar has roped in Rituparna for a film in English written by his wife and based on relationships,” a source said.

The yet-to-be-titled film will be shot in Sikkim and will star Rajat Kapoor and Antara Mali in pivotal roles.

—IANS

Starting all over again