Karan Godwan

Well, well that’s sure a new concept, but is our janta ready for Rakhi ka Swayamvar? And what say the tele-stars?

Tele-take

“Though I have no clue about this reality show, when it comes to Rakhi, anything is possible,” says model turned TV actor Reshmi Ghosh. Ask her would she be game for a show like this, “No, I wouldn’t. For me, marriage is a very personal decision and I cannot showcase it on a national medium.”

For television actor Karan Godwan, Rakhi alone can do something like this. “She is a very bold and blunt girl, and unlike most of the girls, she knows what she is doing. Confidant in her skin, she has the guts to take forward a show like this that involves personal commitment.” Would this show be a hit? “I think it will draw an audience, as Rakhi has her own viewership and the concept is absolutely mind boggling. People would like to see how things shape up”

Having been a part of reality show, for city girl Devina Malhotra, who stood fourth in the MTV Teen Diva, it’s all about TRPs. “Honestly, in a show where Rakhi Sawant features, I am sure it’s about name and fame. I don’t think she would marry a common guy, but yes, for guys who have been running for fame this is a perfect platform. It would serve as an opportunity for them to hog the limelight.”

Janta ka vote

“It’s a framed show just like any other reality show, and Rakhi Sawant is not a great motivation to participate,” says Sharad Sharma.

Even Gaurav Gupta, IIIrd year UIET student, wouldn’t like to participate. “If it’s just about a show it definitely does not matter, but when it comes to a lifetime decision, Rakhi does not have a good image. She’s not the girl one would like to take home to mother.”

More of marriage making

Though on Indian television we haven’t seen matchmaking shows, but in an attempt at real-time matchmaking Madhuri Dixit marked her TV debut with Shubh Vivaah, in 2002. The show was dubbed as a show for real people, their dreams and their aspirations. However, it did not receive a very enthusiastic response from the viewers.

Internationally the oldest show that has had 13 seasons is The Bachelor

Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire is another show that has drawn crowds

Joe Millionaire too is another such American reality show that began in 2003

The Indian classical vocalist duo of Singh Bandhus has been enthralling the audience for the past over six decades. Both the gifted brothers, Surenderpal Singh and Tejpal Singh, have cultivated an amazing sense of synchronisation and understanding, such that the musical notes they’ve produced have made for a cohesive melody. Highly decorated, the younger of the Singh Bandhus, Padmshri Surenderpal Singh, is in the tricity to receive the Amrit Kirtan Trust’s “ Shiromani Sangeetkar Award- 2009 ”. He shared his personal experiences and views on music:

How do you feel about this honour after the National Sangeet Natak Award and Padmshri conferred on you?

You see, an award coming from my land, particularly representing the trust of the music fraternity, has a special significance and value for me, for which I must have been chosen after a meticulous selection by music maestros. The award for a Punjabi, by Punjabis has come very late. See Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan received the honour to sing at the Harballabh Sammelan only after he became a world celebrity.

Your life musical voyage, achievements or regrets?

My soul is in love with music. Holding Master’s in English literature, I had such an obsession for music that even an IFS post could not lure me. Only on the insistence of my revered mother I remained an ITO at Mumbai, but left it immediately after her demise.

Most music wizards talk of the rise and popularity of Indian Classical Music. Your view?

But for the last two three years, the trend is receding among learners and the audience. People remain confined to homes watching TV, while the budding talent lured by TV reality shows has a limited vision of classical music. Just ask my schoolmate Yash (Prof Yashpal, a maestro of the Agra gharana now residing in Chandigarh), how I used to return home after 3 am and that too on foot after attending a classical concert. The feeling of insecurity is the main factor of low audience turnout in the North, while in the South and East art lovers attend concerts till late at night. The technology advancement, however, is a boon to catch up with the best if adequate dedication and spirit is there.

After doing the popular TV programme Gaao Sachi Bani and the background music for serial Tamas, any more films by you, your author wife Padmaji, your progeny?

Not really, I am a proponent of purity, and fusion or fake emotional music does not fascinate me. My wife Padma Sachdev ji is always a busy author. My daughter, Manjit Kaur Sachdev, an M. Phil is associated with film production at present and is supervising two serials.

Asha Parekh, who did some of her most memorable roles under the direction of Shakti Samanta, says that with his death she's "lost a friend and a filmmaker who was a pleasure to work with." Samanta passed away on Thursday at the age of 83.

"I feel miserable because all my directors are going one after the other. Two years ago I lost another of my favourite directors Pramod Chakravorty...I did two fine films with Shaktida Kati Patang and Pagla Kahin Ka," Parekh said.

"I was supposed to do another of his earlier films that went on to be a big hit. But at that time I was reluctant. It was Shaktida's son Ashim who suggested I do Kati Patang. And I'm so glad I did. I got my first Filmfare award for it...Shaktida was an incredible talent," She added.

Recalling the indomitable spirit of the late ace director, she said: "Six months ago Shammi Kapoor and I accompanied him to Kolkata where he was felicitated. At the airport Shammiji had to be taken on a wheelchair to the aircraft. But Shaktida refused the wheelchair. At the airport Shaktida and his son spent hours humming and singing the songs from their films. What music Shaktida created with R.D Burman and other composers!"

Talking about the last days of Samanta, she said: "He had such energy till almost the end although his health was deteriorating. He had to suffer a lot during his last months. He was in hospital to be operated for his prostrate. Then his pacemaker failed him. I'm glad the pain ended. But I've lost a friend and a filmmaker who was a pleasure to work with." — IANS

As a perspective of Satyajit Ray's films opens in New York Wednesday, the New York Times says the great Indian director's films dealing with economic hardship may resonate strongly with audiences during the current downturn."This series is full of memorable, affecting movies that have been just about impossible to see in recent years, like Devi (1960), a remarkable exploration of religious madness, and Kanchenjungha (1962), Ray's first colour film," the influential US daily wrote Friday. "The films that may resonate most strongly in 2009, though, are the ones that deal with economic hardship and the strange parallel universe that is business, big or small," it said. 

The perspective First Light: Satyajit Ray From the Apu Trilogy to the Calcutta Trilogy showcasing Ray's first 20 films opens Wednesday and runs through April 30 at the Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Centre. "The grinding rural poverty of Pather Panchali is powerfully rendered, but it's not entirely typical of Ray's approach to the vexed question of money and its absence," the Times said. 

"Abject need is, in a way, too stark, too absolute for his restless sensibility." "He's more at home with situations like that of the struggling middle-class family of Mahanagar (1963), who have just a bit less income than they require and therefore have to make awkward choices," it said."By the time Ray made The Adversary (1971) - the first of what has come to be called the Calcutta Trilogy, though the plots and characters of the three films are unrelated - the economic and political landscape of India had darkened considerably," the Times critic wrote. 

"He had to watch even more closely, and more coldly, to understand this changing world," the daily said. "And in the audience you watch in melancholy horror because you're looking through the eyes of Satyajit Ray." "The "underlying something" of his rich, various body of work is, ultimately, a kind of close observer's faith: if you can see the world clearly enough, you'll never be a stranger to yourself," the Times said."The Apu Trilogy is easily Ray's best-known work, largely by default," the Times said noting "few of the films he made between ‘The World of Apu’ and his death in 1992 are available on DVD in the United States and Britain, and theatrical retrospectives like Lincoln Centre's are, for an artist of his stature, shockingly rare". -IANS 

Within hours of the release of his latest flick Ek Se Bure Do, Arshad Warsi has apologised to his fans for "subjecting" them to the film.

"I ask for forgiveness from the bottom of my heart. I am sorry that you had to be subjected to Ek Se Bure Do," Arshad Warsi said.

The film also stars Rajpal Yadav and has been brought to life from cold storage. A five-year-old project, the film saw a patchy release with zero promotion to back it up.

"I know, it's a ghost from my past. It was a mistake though I promise that this film should mark an end to all my pending releases. It should be a new beginning from 2009 onwards," said Arshad who is looking forward to the arrival of Shortkut - The Con Is On, Ishqian and his home production Kaun Bola.

Tell Arshad that Ek Se Bure Do has been a complete waste of time and money, and he is willing to crack a joke.

"First and foremost, let me salute you that you actually dared to watch the film. Not many people would have been as brave. But then pray for me as well! You are talking about those Rs 300 that you would have spent on the movie ticket and popcorn? Well God bless you! Meri toh lakhon ki izzat chali gayi iss film se."

Arshad may be praying that his two more ghosts from the past— Jeetenge Hum and Zamaanat too arrive soon and clear his releases backlog. — IANS 

Maa da Laadla singer Master Saleem, who has drawn comparisons with sufi sensation Kailash Kher, believes that he is "more fresh and original" than the latter. Although he praised Kher's attempts at songs like, Teri Diwani and Allah Ke Bande, Salim says that Kher's has mostly sung the famous works of legends Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and other sufi singers which makes him "repetitive".

"Singing is a tough job. I feel that sometimes Kher fails to touch some specific notes." Talking about his stint with Bollywood, Saleem said he was encouraged by none other than singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan.

A self confessed, "god's favourite child," Saleem had a story behind his first step to success in the music industry. "I was singing at a jagaran in Jalandhar and Shankarjee luckily saw it's telecast on TV. Before I knew, I got a call from him the next morning offering me to sing, Dil Da Maamla from Hey Baby," Saleem said.

If all goes well the singer may also act in a Bollywood film as well depicting, a singer's struggle to fame. Saleem aspires to take Indian Sufi music at a global platform and work with Hollywood artist Michael Brooke. —PTI 

Models sashayed on the ramp at a fashion show in Mumbai to showcase fashionable and trendy eyewear of sunglasses, incidentally designed and made by a US-based company. According to the manufacturer, Maui Jim brand is the Numero Uno in the segment of sunglasses in the US.

The collection launched at this fashion show, held here last evening, had a combination polarised lens technology with sunglasses shapes designed to appeal to consumers in India.

Famous models walked the ramp wearing Hawaiian wear and sported the sunglasses.

Indeed, they even performed the traditional Hawaiian dance as if bitten by the vibrant music of the Pacific islands.

Martin Jin Van Eerde, international marketing manager of Maui Jim said that the technical qualities of this eye wear is very good.

"Wearing a Maui Jim is like changing from a 1 mega pixel camera to a 10 mega pixel camera. The quality difference is huge," said Martin Jin Van Eerde.

Eye to eye with fashion sunglass manufacturing companies are now looking towards India for expanding their market vision as India is emerging as a global market. —ANI

Meena Bazaar brought something special for the city residents on the occasion of Baisakhi. The harvest festival of north India is supposed to be a lavish and delightful occasion and so the store brought on display some equally lavish and enchanting range of ethnic wear on forthcoming April 12 and 13.

Music to match the spirit and chilled lassi served in kulhars as welcome drink was a pleasant surprise for all the shoppers.

"Baisakhi is a festival of bliss and this exclusive extravagansa in our store is our way of joining the celebrations," said Rajneesh Jain, the owner of the store. There are many surprise games and contests for the customers as part of the fun. Manish jain, the co-owner enthusiastically revealed, "Our sales staff was also dressed according to the occasion. We have kept a special prize for the best dressed kid as per Baisakhi theme." —TNS

It all began in the early 16th century with the opening of the first coffee café in Europe. Prolonged discussions, heated debates followed by authority toppling revolutions, everything probably initiated from here over a steaming cuppa. Today, centuries down the line, when these discussions have made a shift to conference halls, Gurbir Singh Grewal, director of the upcoming flick, Coffee House has made an attempt to highlight the contribution of these cafes, "It is always good to draw inferences from the past, especially when they can bring a worthwhile change in the society." So is he aiming to transform the world around? "Not really. It is just a sincere effort to make people realise the potential of unity and how together they can stand against injustice."

Another reason behind the unusual name of the movie is drink itself, "Coffee helps you to stay awake. The movie also imparts the same message to be aware of the surroundings and take corrective measure to get rid of evils in the society."

The film is about a theatre group lead by Ashutosh Rana that visits a coffee house in a metropolitan and begins to discuss various relevant topics like unemployment, corruption, poverty…with strangers present there. "The conversation that takes place there jostles everybody's conscience. Together with the experience of the senior citizens and energy of young, they resolve to fight for their rights.'

Refusing to call it an art film, he says, the film is a complete entertainment, "I don't think audiences now categorise cinema as commercial or art but in rather simple terms, good or bad. Irrespective of the fact to which genre the film belongs, people watch it if the storyline is strong."

Television star Sakshi Tanwar (of Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki fame) plays the other lead, as the wife of Ashutosh Rana. Telling us more about her role, Gurbir adds, "Hers is a very positive character. She holds the same ideologies as her husband in the film but her way of dealing with issues is different. Unlike her husband, she is not impulsive and deals strategically with every problem."

The movie will hit the screens on April 17.

ashima@tribunemail.com

It's a definite prototype for future, an indication of the fact that our technological successes haven't reached a saturation point and more importantly a hope that man will make all efforts to save earth. This invention of a three-wheeler car, Stealth by a 13-member team of Chitkara Institute of Engineering and Technology tests well on all the parameters. Even without looks of a luxury car or pick up and sturdiness of an SUV, as its inventors claim, "It'll be the solution to various problems in the coming times." But how? "It is a fuel efficient vehicle that has the mileage of 130 kilometers per litre of petrol. And that means less consumption of fuel and lesser 'contribution' to global warming," asserts Siddharth Bahuja, one the team members.

And the achievement will now be acknowledged world wide as stealth has now been short listed for the Shell eco-marathon, an event that encourages eco friendly inventions to be held at Texas in US. "We stood fifth in the phase-I of the competition where in we sent our synopsis to the event organisers. It formed the basis of our competing in the next phase. The whole team has been invited to US now where we will be contest with 32 teams from across the world." Worth mentioning here is that theirs is the only team to represent not just India, also Asia.

It took the team eight months in total to do some extensive research, lots of experimentation and give final shape to this one seater car. Telling us more about the technical and mechanical aspects of the car, Ankit Khurana, another team members adds, "We modified a Bajaj Pulsar 150cc engine for the vehicle to minimise the fricitional losses. We worked on the aerodymamics to make it more streamlined and brought its drag coefficient (the factor responsible for resistance) to as low as .35."

The three-tyre car can cover a maximum of 36 kilometers in one hour. Unlike the usual three wheeler vehicles, this one has two tyres in the front and one in the rear, "We didn't want to make it look like a three wheeler. In fact, a rather important reason was stability of the vehicle, which the design ensures." He also suggests that the engine and other modifications can be tested on other car models too and terms it as a wise step, "Fuel consumption has increased by over 100 times in the last one decade. It is important to realise the severity of the issue and take corrective measures in time. Such vehicles if not completely can usher initial changes for a 'fuel secure' future." 

A heavy duty rugged Rubber Pen drive with 1 GB storage space. This pen drive is specially designed in the shape of Nano.

Tagged Rs 700, Qty 1.

Mouse Pads

Mouse pad with the image of Nano it will keep on reminding you of what you own while you are working or just surfing the net be it office or home.

Tagged Rs 78, Qty 1.

Nano Phone

This CDMA phone (Tata Indicom) resembles the Nano in every respect. It's sleek and stylish, packed with features. It comes with a super long standby time of 260 Hrs and a talk time battery life of over 3 hours to help you go on just like the Nano. It comes loaded with a various extras like memo pad, countdown timer, stopwatch, calculator, unit converter and world clock. It has a 1.8' TFT LCD display for a clearer picture and an FM radio to entertain you all the time.

Tagged Rs 2999, Qty 1.

Car Hanging

Add a touch of colour and fun to your car with our eye catching Car hanging. Roll around in style with your wheels and satisfy your senses while driving.

Price: Rs 135, Set of 3.

Mobile Charms

Mobile phone fancy neck straps with Nano designs, a set of 4 different colours. So after ring tones and wallpaper here is another way to make your cell phone unique.

Tagged Rs 45, Qty 4.

Key chains

Cool and creative key chains, a set of 4 different attractive colours.

Tagged Rs 74, for 4.

Coasters

Stay connected with the Nano while sipping on your favourite drink. A set of 4 coasters with the cute Nano images just for you.

Tagged Rs 70, Qty 4.

Magnets

Nano magnets which would help to stick your daily notes or to-do's in 4 different colours.

Tagged Rs 81, Qty 4.

(Compiled from the Net)

Driving a car is certainly one of the best things to do for many people. But, it is a fact that sitting in back seat is not all that adventurous and it is easy to get bored on long trips. One way to deal with this type of situation is by installing car DVD players. Although there are lots of companies offering car DVD players but choosing one amongst the available types is the real catch. 

You have to survey and inform yourself about different types of car DVD players before finally making a purchase. Following are the three important suggestions for those who don't want to waste their money on DVD players. If you are one of those persons who don't want to spend a lot of money on buying and installing DVD players, you must consider the option of folding DVD player. 

The best thing about these types of players is that they don't ask you to spend a lot of money on installation. All you need is a car kit and you are ready to enjoy your favourite movie. Another great reason why you must opt for these types of players is that they come with built-in speakers. This will again save you from spending some extra money. However if you want to install this player in you vehicle then you will require a mount for permanent installation of this portable DVD player.

Apart from considering this above-mentioned option, you can consider installing a ceiling mount DVD player. These players are little more expensive than the portable DVD players but they provide you with permanent car entertainment. The best thing about these players is that they are ideal for multi-user backseat viewing.

Always shop from a renowned dealer or store selling a wide range of products like CCTV cameras, CD players, car speakers, etc. But, it is a fact that there are more than a few stores selling all these products. In such situation, it is better to conduct some research over the Internet as a guide. You can always achieve the task by choosing what you want to buy and then spending some time on reviewing it on review sites. 

These are the sites where people leave their comments after buying and using such like products. These comments will always help you to make a better decision in terms of choosing a perfect company or store some times they even tell you ever and who to get them installed from.

It wouldn't be wrong to suggest that buying a DVD player can be a difficult proposition especially if you know nothing about them. But, you really don't have to search a lot to get right type of players. Just keep all these above-mentioned suggestions in mind and you will surely be able to find a perfect DVD player for your car.

amritpalllsingh@gmail.com

The recently concluded 1st Frameflixx awards for animation, Visual Effects & Short Films in Mumbai saw student animators from the city taking away five awards. "The first edition of Frameflixx awards was a resounding success and had an extensive participation from student animators, visual effects artists and film makers from across the country", said Naveen Gupta, executive director and CEO of Frameboxx Animation and Visual Effects, which organised the competition, with an aim to bring together talented student animators and artists on a unique platform with the industry and showcase and reward their creativity.

"FrameFlixx had been a unique initiative of Frameboxx to recognise the best creative talent in our country," he added.

Among the many categories of awards, students from Frameboxx Chandigarh bagged the Silver Trophy in the Best Animation Film category for their film Child's Play, which aimed to create awareness on the impact of industrialisation and environmental damage on our planet. 

Ankur Kapoor spearheaded this film along with a team of students, which included Atul Kashyap, Harjeet Singh, Isha Walia, Parvinder Singh and Rajan Sharma and was also recently nominated at the FICCI BAF Awards held in Mumbai, informed Sachin Bhatnagar, vice president, New Media, Frameboxx Animation & Visual Effects.

The city lad, Ankur Kapoor, who has number of international and national awards in the past for his animation and live action short films, was awarded the Platinum Achievers' Trophy along with the Best Live Action Film Award for his film Half the Truth at the FrameFlixx Awards.

Harneet Singh, also from Frameboxx Chandigarh was awarded the Best Post-Production Demoreel Award for Excellence in Visual Effects that he prepared during the tenure of his course.

Another talented animator from the institute, Paramjit Singh bagged the coveted Animation Grand Challenger Trophy chosen from among more than 50 entries received from all major animation-training brands across India.

The Chandigarh centre also bagged the maximum number of nominations with their Visual Effects film 9 Minutes and When on Road being nominated for the Best Visual Effects Film category and Atul Kashyap being nominated for the Animation Grand 
Challenger Award. —TNS 

"We are addicted to the benefits of technology and now there is no escape from it. So, what do you do? Live with it," offers Punjabi singer Ashok Masti. However, he feels everything, including technology should be used within limits. "Anything misused or overused looses its importance," he adds. Ready with his next album Ashok Masti's Crossover, which he plans to release after Indian Premier League (IPL), Ashok defines technology as 'inevitable carrier'.

w Blog It: I have already spoken nineteen to dozen about unavoidable 
technology.

Now, it is blogs, which rule the roost. I have my own blog that I check pretty regularly. It is nice to fans post their comments. Some even leave a suggestion or two. I owe a lot to my fans, which is why it is mandatory to keep in touch with them, and blogging is one such medium that facilitates speedy interaction.

w Let's chat up: It is not possible to for me to talk to all my fans, so, the best way is to chat up with them on the Internet. In addition to this, I also find it more comfortable than talking on the phone all the time. Sometimes, it is actually easier to interact with someone you can't see. My laptop is my constant companion. I check my mails regularly as most of the work happens through mails only. Lastly, friends and family can also get in touch with me through chatting and mails, while I am traveling.

w All well with cell: Mobiles phone is the biggest achievement of technology, with advantages and disadvantages packed in one. My Blackberry phone is loaded with everything I would ideally want- affective music, Internet, games, notebook, high storage capacity. On the other hand, I am disturbed to find every single soul hooked to a cell phone, while driving, eating and working. I think, a mobile should also be used in limits. We need to avoid using a cell phone while driving.

w Latest Pick: I bought fantastic headphones from Calcutta, which run on a remote system. Even if I am not carrying my I-pod or laptop, I can still listen to music through the remote system.

jasmine@tribunemail.com