Stage of growth
World Theatre Day had artistes from the tricity debating its role and relevance
S.D. Sharma

Gursharan Singh Mahendra Kumar Anita Shabdish Photos: Pradeep Tewari

"Of all the performing arts, theatre is regarded as being life size. And Indian theatre retains its role as an instrument of social activism and relates more directly to audiences than other art forms," observed Gursharan Singh, hailed as the Bhisham Pitamah of theatre in the region. “But its age-old perception of being primarily entertainment oriented needs to be changed.” Expressing his views at the World Theatre Day celebrations organised by the Punjab Sangeet Natak Academy (PSNA) and the Punjab Arts Council (PAC), Gursharan Singh urged theatre artists and people to join hands to create awareness about rampant social evils like female foeticide, drug addiction and dowry.

Earlier Rajpal Singh, secretary general, PAC, read out the Punjabi translation of World Theatre Day 2009 - International Message by the Brazilian thespian scholar Augusto Boal.

Former city mayor and chairperson of PAC Harjinder Kaur said that to survive theatre has to be vibrant and innovative. "We are committed to honouring the pioneers of art in the region," she said. She lauded Dr Mahendra Kumar, chairperson, Department of Indian Theatre, PU, for his contribution as an academician, playwright, production designer and director. "We feel honoured to felicitate the genius from Punjab on this day," said Dolly Guleria, president PSNA. Dr Mahendra was presented a citation, shawl and Rs 11000 at the function.

Dr Mahendra said that no other art form could generate and radiate the human energy and awareness of theatre. But it had to be loyal to its language, people and realities, with the intent of bringing about social change.

The flip side of staging dramas in the tricity too was pointed out. Zulfikar Khan, a 1989 gold medallist and alumnus of the PU Theatre Department, rued the lack of patronage from the government or corporate sector for art practitioners. The rentals of Tagore Theatre have been kept too high, making them unaffordable for many, even as the government reiterates its commitment to promoting theatre, he said.

Theatre couple Devinder Daman and Jaswant Daman, acclaimed stage and Punjabi film artistes, said that this day held special significance. “Theatre should not be limited to entertainment and it must intervene and participate in the social and political dialogue of the times.”

"Theatre is neither a hobby or profession but a religion, driven by an urge and passion to highlight the problems of the masses and encourage the downtrodden and suppressed to fight for justice."

A drama student at PU, Neeru Bala, talked of meaningful theatre which should have contemporary relevance. "This day inspires us to know about the ideals of the great pioneers of this art."

Actor Anita Shabdish said she wished to relish the adulation of the audience and die honing her passion. A close follower of the ideals set by Gursharan bhaaji, the Baba Bohad of Punjabi theatre, Anita said that it kept them energised to meet the challenges in life.

Rajeev Mehta, director, Theatre Arts, the only group in the city to celebrate World Theatre day for the past 10 years, likened the sanctity of the day to that of Deepavali.

However, eminent composer and film actor Kamal Tewari felt it was like any other day. For a devout art lover, theatre is a composite art with an amalgamation of music, dance, folklore, painting et al. "We all must consider every day as Theatre Day and attempt to take the tradition to new horizons," he opined.

Said Harish Bhatia, director Abhinet Theatre group, "Theatre, like music, has one universal language and the human conditions and concerns globally are the same. So, all great works of literature, including drama, basically deal with the same human problems. We theatre practitioners should feel the unity of our endavour and work together to improve the quality of life."

...Poles apart
Papa CJ has no qualms about pole dancing
Jasmine Singh

For the Indian audinece, Malaika Arora Khan gyrationg around the pole in Kaante made for an uneasy watch. Recently, the three hunks of Bollywood - Akshay Kumar, Fardeen Khan and Ritesh Deshmukh dancing sensuallty around a vertical pole in Heyy Baby , made women gawk and blush in hushed admiration. Men pole dancing! Never heard of it. But, we would certainly want to know about someone who boasts of this gyrating proficiency. Meet Papa CJ, pole dancer and stand up comedian from Kolkata now settled in London, in the city to perform at Golf Club. Perform, we bet you would end up scandalising people. "I don't know," he says. "I don't have inhibitions. Let's see," he adds.

Pole dancing, why would someone want to zero in on this whacky, awkward professions? "I was doing a corporate job, and I happened to see men pole dancers at a night club in London. I thought it was a wow profession, and I moved over to it. Now, this is what I do full time, " he says with ease as opposed to an uncomfortable expression on our face. Reactions from the family, the first thing that comes to our mind. Offers Papa CJ, "They were shocked. However, now they have accepted it and they support me too." We still can't separate pole dancing from the smoky, naughty environment of the night clubs. "When I performed in Delhi, people were uncomfortable, in Kolakata they were scandalised, while I got a great response in Pune," he adds. More on the moves and how he does it? "First, I begin with chatting up the audiences. Later on, when I see they are comfortable, I start with pole dancing, where I invite women to take off the two layers of my clothes." And how does he deal with those uncomfortable, shocked looks? "The trick is to switch off the lights," says CJ. "Two drinks down, and lights off, uneasiness vanishes in the air."

jasmine@tribunemail.com

Smiling Gudiya
This specially abled girl’s life makes for an inspiring story
Parbina Rashid

She is every bit of the heroine in real as she is in the reel. Welcoming visitors sometimes with a nod, sometimes with her brilliant smile and every now and then whispering this little secret in her confidantes’ ears — yes, all these media attention was making her a little nervous. But then, one gets used to it and Gudiya has no options but to acclimatise herself to the attention she is going to get from the media and people alike. After all she is the lead character of this documentary film titled on her name, which is going places — right from We Care Film Fest to Sirifort Auditorium, to now Satyajit Ray Film Institute to Goa Film Fest.

For most city residents who frequent Sector 17, Gudiya would come as a familiar face. She sells pens and trinkets on the pavement. But the familiarity becomes a bond with this specially-abled 25-year-old as we see her in the frames conceptualised and directed by Indu Bala at School of Communication Studies on Friday afternoon. Indu Bala, who teaches English at GCG –11, prefers to keep her subject short and straight from the heart. So, the story rolls with bits and pieces of Gudiya’s life — her working hours, her home which she shares with two other girls, her friends and her aims and aspiration which come out in form of dialogues between a group of girls from the GCG and Gudiya. She talks of her life as an inmate of Mother Teresa Home in Sector 23, her education at a government school till class VIII and her everyday struggle to keep things going. But, the smile never fades and those fleeting shadows of sorrow disappears the moment one mentions the name Praveen, her childhood friend, the man who encouraged her to lead a dignified life against all odds. A devout Christian, she is a regular at the church only because she has full faith in Him. “One should be grateful to Him for what He has done for us, even for what He has not done,” she tells us. Gudiya is content with whatever she has. “I do not dream of getting married for I know with my physical conditions, one has to have a strong background to get a groom. I am an orphan. But I always wanted to have two things — a mobile phone and a shop of my own,” she says. Well, her first dream came true when Indu Bala and the production team, which is being sponsored by GCG-11, gifted her a mobile. As for the second dream, Gudiya is willing to wait with a conviction that too will come true someday. The half-an-hour documentary ends with a positive note with Gudiya’s happy face telling you that one does not need much to be happy in life and you end up humming Mariah Carrey’s hit number Hero, as you come out of the auditorium. Yes, there is a hero within all of us!

parbina@tribunemail.com

Hukkah from Haryana
Artistes capture the rustic charm of the neighbouring state
Neha Walia

Under the emerging face of urbanisation and globalisation, Haryana has kept its traditions and its folk culture intact. And putting forth the point are 10 artists from the region, who have put together different pieces of its cultural landscape so that you can see Haryana from your mind's eye. The seven-day painting workshop organised by the North Zone Cultural Centre and Haryana Cultural Affairs Department has all the colours of the state on canvas.

The theme of the workshop was to bring out artistic impressions of rural Haryana. The earthy feel, lush fields, ethnic charm and innocence, each painting has an instant connection to the land. With a collection of almost 20 paintings, it is a show of senior artists as well as budding ones. Like Bhoop Gulia, who has been constantly playing with colours and his imagination on canvas for two decades now and is currently teaching fine arts at the MDU, Rohtak. His work, Saavan, is an artistic impression of the monsoon celebrations by village belles. "I like to work with dust colours, whether it's a portrait or landscape," he says. His works mostly has good use of contrasts and colours like greens and reds. Whether it's the innocent charms of village women or the sacred elements attached to the cows, every painting shows a different side of Haryanvi villages. Paintings by Bheem Malhotra have hukkah, another by Anjali S. Aggarwal uses ghadwa or the earthen pot musical instrument as muse. "I use bulls as an important element in my paintings. So, I used images of bulls and peacocks as motifs on the instrument. These two are common in villages," she says. Her other work includes Tota, which is used as a decoration and is a symbol of prosperity.

Her husband, Sanjay Kumar, is different in his approach. "I have painted figures of women performing folk dances of Haryana." This national award-winning artist is famous for his figure paintings and use of vibrant colours. For young artist Priyanka Sardana, a message comes attached with her painting. "I have painted a scarecrow, which is common in villages. While it is rooted to its culture, it also symbolises the threat to the agricultural land from the growing corporatisation," she elaborates.

The collection gives a broad view of the rural life but yet retains its originality. Just one question though, "The growth of art in the region and in the country on whole is rapid. But why is there still no Lalit Kala Akademi in Haryana?" asks Anjali. Anybody listening?

lifestyle@tribunemail.com

Token of heritage
Friday saw the Souvenir Shop at the Le Corbusier centre open its doors to public
Ashima Sehajpal

Behind the creation of any art form, there is one basic intention-to win appreciation. And if that doesn't come from art lovers, it loses the very essence of its purpose. So, when the Souvenir Shop at the Le Corbusier centre opened its doors to public on Friday, we quite understood the objective that was further acknowledged by V.N. Singh, Nodal Officer, Le Corbusier centre, "It is an effort to encourage people to admire the art present in the city. The shop also offers an opportunity to art lovers to take home a bit of modern heritage of the city."

And we saw people doing exactly the same by buying a T-shirt with a print of open hand on it, a necktie with a rock garden structure, coffee mugs showing shikaras at Sukhna Lake and more to it buying stuff that had some symbol of city heritage on it. Selection of these heritage figures was probably the easiest task. Says V.N. Singh, "Certain prominent heritage symbols like Rock Garden, Open Hand, Capitol Complex, sector 17 Plaza were short listed to be printed on various objects. And they selected with an objective- that people would cherish these things as their bond with the city."

The souvenirs available here target people of all age groups. "We wanted people from different backgrounds to show interest in the heritage of Chandigarh. Other than art pieces, we have souvenirs in forms of T-shirts, caps, coasters, wall clocks, key chains, plates, ceramic tiles, book marks, mouse pads and so on." The inauguration of the shop is the part of Chandigarh Art and heritage festival.

Also on sale here are some prints of 26 paintings made by Le Corbusier himself. "We all know Le Courbusier as an architect, but not many people are aware that he was an avid painter too," says Singh. The facts provided by the center that Corbusier made around 400 paintings, 800 drawings, 27 cartoons for tapestries and 44 sculptures hence substantiate his art attribute. Most of it is abstract art made some six decades ago.

With sale of Rs 4000 on day one, the figures are expected to rise gradually. "We have got a good number of bookings. The price range of these souvenirs starts from Rs 100 and goes up to Rs 7000, which gives one enough options," says V.N. Singh.

ashima@tribunemail.com

Light moments
Ashima Sehajpal

Of all the purposes art serves, a significant one is — it decreases the difference between the tangible and intangible. Be it our cognitive processes, emotions, or any definite object, it brings everything on the same pedestal without discrimination. Manpreet Singh, an artist from Delhi, has used this freedom appositely and has painted his thoughts and as intangible forms as the sounds of notes of a piano and guitar.

The information that comes next was expected, “Mine is abstract art. It helps me not to limit myself and venture beyond the obvious surroundings,” says he. Titled, All Geared Up to Go, all 32 works of Manpreet fall under three subtitles given by him, “Elevation, Visage of Victory and Get Up and Go explain our incessant struggle in life and how we achieve our aims.”

His medium is acrylic on canvas and digital photography. About his art form, he says, “It is an experimental art form where in I have tried to play with light by making different forms out of it.” The colour scheme is bright and strokes are bold. “Since, I have painted aspirations and optimism, dull colours wouldn’t have left the same positive impact,” he says. Bright colours, rather strongly conveys my messages.” He has used the basic forms of any art, lines, circles, triangles and elliptical. Giving us a philosophical reason he adds, “The lines on our palms dictate the course of our life, so are very meaningful. I have used lines with the same intention.”

His one photograph, Elevation, is worth praise that has a jumble of different bright coloured lines at the bottom, which gradually unclutter as they move up. “Every photograph has a thought behind it and the one behind this is, often our life becomes as complicated as these intermingled lines. But, after making conscious efforts, we come out of such situations that is depicted by a single bold stroke,” he concludes.

Bon Appetit
Popeye’s prescription
Kandla Nijhowne

Calorie for calorie, leafy green spinach with its delicate texture and jade green color provides more nutrients than most other foods. But it’s a myth that spinach has super-high iron content. This was due to a goof up in 1870 by Dr E.Wolf when he misplaced a decimal point in his publication, consequently overrating the iron content of spinach by 10 times! The figure went unchecked for 67 years! But there’s plenty worth raving about in spinach anyway. Carotenoids and flavonoids in spinach fight prostrate and ovarian cancers whereas large amounts of vitamin K in it help bone health. Spinach gives you smarter brains and aids cardiovascular protection. During the war, wine fortified with spinach juice was given to weakened French soldiers. Comments anybody? Well—I have one—-ugh!! In the White House, Michelle Obama raves about creamed spinach, which as part of their healthy eating agenda, is cooked without cream! (Personally, that’s not ‘creamed’ spinach, whatever else it may be!) Lutein, a carotenoid protective against eye diseases is found in spinach. Spinach also provides lots of energy giving iron to our body, so while it probably won’t make you super strong the minute you eat it, as it did for Popeye, it will promote your health and vitality in many other ways. It seems like Popeye was pretty smart after all! 

Spinach and strawberry salad

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

½ cup white sugar

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup white vinegar

¼ teaspoon chilly powder

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon minced onion

300 gm fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces

1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced

¼ cup almonds, blanched and slivered

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Slumdog spin-off
Post-Oscars, Freida Pinto is Bollywood's top earner

Cause for concern
Actor Raveena Tandon shoots for PETA, discouraging use of leather and leather products

Actor Raveena Tandon during the shooting of a PETA commercial in Mumbai PTI Photo

Bollywood actor Raveena Tandon on Thursday shot for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) with an aim of discouraging the use of leather and leather products.

Tandon has been associated with the PETA for the last 15 years.

"This campaign is basically against leather and leather products.

We think it as a style statement but actually the way it is made and the way we use it, it harms us," she said.

PETA India educates policy-makers and the public about animal abuse and promotes an understanding of the right of all animals to be treated with respect. — ANI

Gullu's glory