On All Fool's Day, the funny men of the industry share moments when the joke was on them

The way the 'fools' were indispensable to Shakespearean dramas, these comedians are integral to small-screen and the big-screen scripts nowadays. They have even given birth to a special award category, award ceremony and comedy shows on the small screen. And no stage show is complete without their performance.

On Fool's day, also known as Bakra Divas, we talk to those who've become famous for tickling our funny bone. Most of the time, they talk about the endless tricks they have played on people, but here, we get them to tell us of experiences when they were at the receiving end.

Now, April 1 is a very significant day for comedian Pratap Faujdaar by all means. His daughter was born on this day, and he was also at the receiving end of the most memorable trick of his life. "I was elated to know about the birth of my daughter as I wanted one. But after two hours, the doctor came up to me and said that I was blessed with a baby boy." We too could guess his natural reaction, "I was furious and accused them of swapping my girl child with somebody else's child. I threatened the hospital staff that I would drag them to the court and get their practice license cancelled." The drama lasted for good three hours, "I ran all over the hospital for hours to search my daughter before the doctor told me that he was celebrating Fool's Day with me." Thank god it was just a joke!

The comedian who shares a special bond with Chandigarh has a special memory to share too. Denying that anybody's played a trick on him, Khayali agrees to one strange joke that fate cracked on him, "Fifteen years back, I was serving as a watchman at a swimming pool in Ganganagar. One fine day in 2007, I got an invite to inaugurate a resort in the same city. When I reached the address, I realised it had the same swimming pool that I used to guard at one time." And this isn't the only strange coincidence as Khayali has another one to talk about; "I had served tea and snacks to celebrities who used to come to perform at the annual Chandigarh festival. After years of struggle, when I got success I was invited to perform at the same festival and was being served tea and snacks the same way." That's life's taking potshots!

Here is another victim of fool's day. The cricketer-turned-judge of a comedy show-turned politician, Navjot Singh Sidhu two years back, he was caught off guard on this day at the laughter challenge show. "I was taken inside a separate room for an interview. The interviewee began addressing me as Maninder Singh, the great Indian bowler. I clarified my identity time and again and still I was asked how I felt about taking 200 wickets." To make matters worse, the show was aired on national television later on. "I almost fainted laughing after I watched the show." But he takes all the jokes in the right spirit, "After judging a comedy show all these years, I have learnt how important it is to laugh at oneself. It keeps you grounded." Given his ‘laughing Buddha’ status on screen, he does not mind accepting the fact that most of the jokes cracked on the show were targetted at him.

ashima@tribunemail.com

For the young brigade, voting is a choice between the bad, the worse and the worst

Elections this year are not the usual affair. The basics have been twisted, innovations included and politics is turning techno. Issues may remain the same, but the power has been shifted. And guess who’s calling the shots? Over one million first-time voters who are set to cast their votes and political parties trying every trick in their hat to woe the young India. Parties focusing on young politicians to the Election Commission’s efforts to rope in youth eye-candies like Ranbir Kapoor, Imran Khan, Priyanka Chopra to popular icons like M. S. Dhoni, voting is being glamourised and made to look ‘cool’. But with all the awareness and motivational campaigns targeting the youth to go out and vote responsibly, one question remains same — would you vote?

“I had initially planned and was motivated enough to vote, but later was forced to change my decision,” says Saloni Bajaj, a UIET student and vice-president of Uth United, an NGO. And the driving force behind her taking a U-turn? “People have been voting all these years, and what difference has that made? We have been doing volunteer work through our NGO in slum areas and carry out issue-related campaigns. If so many years haven’t seen any lives being changed or concrete policy making, then another year wouldn’t bring much of a difference,” she says. Though she supports the idea of an aware youth, but reasons out the credibility of our candidates. “We see the same candidates being fielded every year, and they fail to make an impact. To build a voter’s trust, we need to get fresh faces. Someone who knows the ground reality and is willing to work. False promises are not our staple diet anymore,” she affirms. Ask Chandan Nagi, an engineering student, and he points out that we don’t have a leader who shares the same ambitions as the youth today. “Its been constantly preached that the youth should vote to bring about a change. Does change mean zillion corruption charges on anybody who calls himself a politician, not allowing independent thinking and forced harassment in the name of moral policing, or suffering from amnesia as soon as the elections are over? Even if I want to vote, can I actually vote ‘responsibly’ in a scenario of ‘for bad or for worse’?” he asks.

This continued disillusionment with voting could also be blamed on the registration process. Most youngsters have still not got themselves registered for a voter’s I-card. And why? “It is a tedious process and of course there is a lack of interest that stops most of us from getting an I-card,” says Shivani Raghuvanshi, a student of School Communication Studies, PU. Another one joining by her side is Deeksha Sethi, an RJ from the city, who thinks that the negativity surrounding the entire system of governance is the main reason behind lack of enthusiasm towards voting. “Every year we swallow the same bitter pill coated with election promises. This makes voting a futile exercise and so most of the youngsters don’t bother to get themselves even registered,” she says. But then they do believe that certain things can be helpful to reach out to the voters. “There should be more transparency in elections, open debates between the candidates and the public should be allowed to directly question the candidates,” says Deeksha. Comes one from Shivani too, “Our political system needs to infuse some young blood into its core for better understanding and connecting with the majority population.” And as far as the celebrity campaigns are concerned, they all echo in one tone, “It’s a waste of public money and just a publicity stunt,” Well, heard that before?

lifestyle@tribunemail.com

From the time period unaccounted, the friendship bond between women and diamonds hasn’t gone weak even by an iota. It’s still the same, intact and strong. And diamonds are definitely a woman’s best friends. So, on Tuesday, when we were all agog to celebrate this relationship once again at Orra, a Diamond boutique in sector 17, S. Raja, Regional Sales Manager, ORRA questioned the authenticity of the claim, “Women in India still prefer to buy gold for various reasons. It is a general perception here that only elite can afford diamonds.” He next states some vital facts, “Diamonds are now coming in very affordable range. Anyone who can spare money for gold can do it for diamonds as well.”

Announcing the sale offer discounts up to 25 per cent on the entire jewellery range, he indicated at the changing trends, “The diamond industry in India is growing at the rate of 16 per cent annually. The first six months of this financial year were very profitable and we estimated the industry to grow by 20 per cent but recession affected it too.”

Available here are Belgian fine cut diamonds in exquisite designs. But before you go on to think the same, these diamonds haven’t been imported from Belgium. “It is a myth again that Belgian fine cut diamonds come from Belgium. 90 per cent of diamonds in the world are cut and designed in Surat. Begian cut is in fact an ideal diamond’s cut term,” says Raja.

Orra is also a sponsor of jewellery that filmstars wear to various international award functions. “We were the official sponsors for Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman at the Oscars 2008 and for Mallika Sherawat at Cannes Film Festival. Also, we are the only diamond manufacturers in the world who from excavating diamonds from the mines to polishing, to studding in metal and to retail, does the complete work,” says Raja.

Ashima Sehajpal

British supermodel Naomi Campbell, who is quite fascinated with the sari which she wore for the first time at Lakme India Fashion Week 2009, feels Indian designers have much influence in the West. "There are so many (favourite Indian designers). There's so much influence on the Western world of your Indian designs," Campbell, draped in the six-yard-long apparel designed by Sabyasachi Mukherjee, said. "I just love the Sari. I think it's elegant. I've worn it for a music video before...It's just that everytime I've been to India, I've always liked to wear the traditional authentic clothes," Campbell said. The initiative Mai Mumbai was led by New York-based hotelier Vikram Chatwal and Fern Mallis, Vice President of IMG, which is also Campbell's agency. She said India is a country that has always been able to survive. Campbell and Chatwal handed over a cheque worth Rs 10 lakh to Teesta Setalvad, who heads an NGO called Citizens for Justice and Peace. — PTI

Naomi Campbell planning to return to India for Hindi movies

International supermodel Naomi Campbell might be looking at a career in Bollywood after she floored film executives at the Lakme Fashion Week relief fund raiser in Mumbai recently.

Campbell was in Mumbai on March 27-31 to walk the ramp in aid of victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist strikes.

After taking to the runway in a sari and being mobbed by fans, she was introduced to Bollywood stars, including Deepika Padukone, Farhan Akhtar and Kunal Kapoor.

"Naomi has never modelled in India before, but she loved every minute.

At the end of the show, two well-known Bollywood producers approached her and asked her if she'd be interested in screen testing," said a source.

"Naomi was incredibly flattered and plans to come back to Mumbai for more talks whenever she next has a break in her schedule," the source added. — IANS

eBay auctions designer wear to raise funds for 26/11 victims

Designer outfits including gowns and saris, showcased at the Lakme Fashion Week, are available on online marketplace eBay India as part of charity auction to raise funds for the victims of Mumbai terror attacks. The outfits, designer gowns, saris and tee shirts among others, are from the 'Mai Mumbai' show held at the ongoing LFW in Mumbai. eBay India in a statement said bids for the outfits starts at Rs 1. The auction, which began on March 28, is scheduled to end on April 9, while the proceeds would go to Citizens for Justice & Peace, an NGO helping the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. “In a gesture of support for the cause eBays global sites in France, Germany, USA, Singapore, HongKong and Malaysia will also be actively promoting the Mai Mumbai charity auctions and we hope we can raise a lot of money," eBay India Senior Manager Pop Culture Deepa Thomas said. The outfits on auction include those designed by names like Anamika Khanna, Manish Malhotra, Rina Dhaka, Rohit Bal, Ritu Kumar and Wendell Rodricks. — PTI

The pranks played on All Fools’ Day become memories for a lifetime. And, the campus is sure packed with such memorable moments

Rub your palms, raise your brow and smirk! Feel free to call a fool a fool and the unsuspecting poor thing might probably smile! Viola! It’s April Fool’s Day.

Settle your scores, even out grudges or just indulge in sheer harmless fun.

Didn’t they say, ‘On Fool’s Day we celebrate what we are on other 364 days’? Paying tribute befitting the day, we ask some famous and some ‘somehow famous’ on the campus, their experiences, experiments, exploits…

“Why just on April 1, we continue all year round,” declares Sahil Nanda, president, Panjab University Campus Students Council, while listing his and his gangs’ exploits.

“Once we stored up a number in friends mobile by the name of a hostel warden and cooked up stories that scared the hell out of him.”

That’s not it, he continues his Tales from the Crypt, “Once from an Airtel number we messaged another friend saying he’s won a Nokia 6600 and needs to go Sector-18 to collect it and fulfill the formalities.”

Of course, the gullible person reached the venue only to discover no Nokia, no prize, nothing! Tejpal Cheema, final year law student, Panjab University, laughs over one childhood incident, “When I was in Class IX or X, folks at my place pulled a fast one on me saying that my uncle, who’s like a Santa on Christmas to me when it comes to gifts and goodies, was returning from the US the next day.

I was all ready and excited and eager-beaver early in the morning, when I was apprised of the cruel truth.”

What happened post the revelation, your guess is just as good.

And the guy refuses to share the ones he played on others!

Brinder Dhillon, another law student, after much prodding divulges, “It’s a year-round affair. We know the guys who are naughty and have been in trouble, so they are always told things like their case has reopened for investigation or a girl complained against them in the police station and stuff like that.”

Hey, don’t they get yelled at? “It’s ok to play a practical joke on your pals provided it doesn’t harm or hurt. The idea is that both parties have good time,” says Saloni Bajaj, PU student, vice-president, Youth United. Girls aren’t shying away either.

As she says, “Once we told our friend there’s a party at Hot Millions and she had to convince her strict mom to let her go. When she was ready to leave, all decked-up, at four pm, we broke the news to her.”

She laughs, “Of course we got the yelling of our life but now even she enjoys the memory.” Adds Sahil, “In hostels, especially they are a cult because we are all the time together.

We are a bunch of four-five friends and during get-togethers we decide on our next target.”

Talk of not taking it sportingly and Brinder says, “Anybody who minds will in fact get mocked at more so there’s no chance.” Any defence?

Tejpal sums up, “They sure qualify for lifetime memories. And make for a good laugh even years after.” Any arguments?

manpriya@tribunemail.com

Some age-old tricks never go out of fashion. Try your hand at these…

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