|
|
|
|
|
Classics@couture What better way to relate to reading than revisit fiction’s favourites, fashionably! That’s what happened at the Dress Up Britain event, where Charlie Chaplin to Alice in Wonderland, characters from British classics and real life came alive
Princess Diana, Monty Panesar, David Beckham, Charlie Chaplin, Alice in Wonderland, Sir Newton, John Lennon, they were all there! All in the same league; not one less than the other. What’s more? Thirty-seven of them! Don’t trust? Then don’t say! On Thursday, as part of its ninth anniversary celebrations titled, Best of Britain, British Library-9 kickstarted the event with a fancy dress competition: Dress Up Britain. And dressed up they were, in hues of blacks to pinks, whites to violets, through kids of multiple ages. There walks in Alice in Wonderland saying, “I ran after a little white rabbit and then...Oh! I was in dreamland, I’m Alice in Wonderland,” and the audience goes into a thunderous applause. Then legendary John Lennon from the Beatles plays something for the gathering, while Charlie Chaplin does a mute act, trademark stick in tow. David Beckham? How could he be forgotten? Minus Victoria Posh Beckham, he was ‘spotted’ too. Li’l Monty Panesar, his face literally painted, sprinted up again on stage, to thank the audience. Told you all were there! “Our theme for the whole event is Britain, this is the first event where a participant could play anything belonging to U, personality, place, cartoon character,” says Christina Singh, deputy manager. The celebrations, stretching till May 16, also squeeze in word building, Paint Britain and extempore in the schedule. “When we sit down to chart out the event list, we do it for the whole year. We think of an event appropriate for the month in terms of suitability, examinations schedule and such factors,” chips in the manager, Bipin Kumar. All this while the energetic, enthusiastic bunch has been darting up and down the mini stage. Eager parents typified by hanycams, teachers, spectators kept the guessing game going till, of course, the child came up and announced, ‘Good morning, I’m…’ “Many a time, we don’t even know where certain famous personalities come from,” Bipin Kumar takes to the microphone. About time, the judges took over. “We’ll be judging the students for their confidence, the pains they took while dressing,” says Sheeba Lamba, co-judge, Head of the Department from Chitkara Institute. “And also for the effort they’ve made, the dress, of course, will be an important part,” adds Indu Sharma, principal, ITFT. No matter what the criteria, judging will be a tough call.
|
|
A spiritual journey Born on April 7, 1904 in Gujaranwala (west Punjab), now in Pakistan, Prasher was the son of a surgeon and artistic mother. After doing his master in English Literature from old Christian College, Lahore in1935 he went to Mysore, where he met M A. Aziz. The teacher saw the great potential in him and under his supervision Prasher went through his preliminary training, until he achieved expertise in portrait, landscape painting and clay modeling. It was a turning point in his life. Later, he had training in sculpture from another master V P Karmarker. Prasher had also worked in his studio at Tardeo for some time. Prasher did not follow any particular school to art; he was always responsive to the inner urge. His genuineness and fundamental good sense make him a courageous experimentalist. 1947 was indeed a momentous year with a political independence, which bifurcated India into two, Peaceful life took many turns: he and his growing family experienced an adventurous through the refugee camp at Baldev Nagar, Ambala City and at Delhi. There he served the Hindu and Sikh migrant from Pakistan as a camp commander and also used to sketch their distressing and crucial condition on paper as STROKES OF ANGUISH and also made some earthen sculptures in the post-Partition refugee camp. Later, he proposed a scheme to establish new School of Art and Craft on the pattern of Mayo School of Art, Lahore to the Industries Department of Government of East Punjab which materialized in form of the School of Art Punjab at Shimla on August 16, 1951.Prasher was appointed as the First Principal of newly opeed art school. After retirement in 1959, he moved to Bombay as a director of the All-India Handicrafts Board and settled finally in Delhi in the early 60s.Jawarhar Lal Nehru, who saw his works at an exhibition of sculptures in Delhi, had exclaimed, "Your works are powerful." His design for sculpture mural in steel was selected by Le Corbusier as a most interesting design, which was later stuck on the wall of Men's College, Chandigarh. Mulk Raj Anand remarked, "superb achievements of Prasher." His children wanted to realize their desire to build him a Studio to work, but he lay indoor struggling with leukemia. By the time it was almost finished, he knew he would never use it. Looking out into an ideal space at last in 1990, he said, "I was born to be poor Brahim." Prasher claimed to be the core part of the ancient Indian tradition and yet at the same time he was aware of the contemporary creative trends. He said, "I do not believe in masquerading in outward trappings. I hold that art must communicate some deeper experience of man's being and must express some vision; otherwise it sinks down to the level of an external mannerism, just sound and fuss signifying nothing. It is my firm conviction that modernity is first and foremost a matter of consciousness, not of style, style always is born out of consciousness." (The author is a faculty member of Govt. College of Art, Chandigarh.) |
|
History on canvas
Having drawn to the world of colours and creativity in early childhood, Amarjit Singh of Bathinda, has since then been passionately popularising Punjab's vibrant culture and history through art world. "My aim is not to put up exhibitions, but to educate the people of about our culture and traditions, which is fading away. I have taken up works of poets, writers, authors, and dramatists to visualise them and try to paint culture through the scenes of villages, cities and forests," said Amarjit. Singh shares that he has also started painting the scriptures inscribed in the holy Guru Granth Sahib. "I try to depict the feelings of proverbs on canvas so that people can better understand their meaning. I am trying to paint 100-150 such works so that I can display it in an exhibition. I love this type of religious work," Amarjit added.
— ANI |
|
It don't impress me much
That is quite natural, considering that there is a glut of composers, there being Ashu (who has earlier worked on Drona), Roshan Machado, Shamir Tandon and Mahesh Shankar. The same holds true of the lyricists also, with Vaibhav Modi, Amitabh Bhattacharya and Shabbir Ahmed doing the writing work. Not one of the songs impresses you much. The album opens with Delhi Destiny, sung by Raja Hassan and Ashu, which would b remembered more for the varied uses of the words Ba Mulaheja. It has long classical alaaps supported by soft guitar strains. It uses Hindi, Urdu and Persian words like "Takhliya" etc, made popular by "Mughal-e-Azam", but it beats me why it has been named Delhi Destiny. After his "emotional attyachar" in Dev D, Amitabh Bhattacharya has penned another unconventional song, Soch mat dobara here. It’s one of those few good numbers the album can boast of. "Mujras" are in vogue and this album also fulfils the demand through Main hoon pinjare wali muniya, Baiyaan na marod. The song by Sunidhi Chauhan and KK begins desi style but then also takes in hip hop contours. Its Grooving Blues Mix by DJ Whosane liberally uses bongo, bead sounds and shrieking guitars. It also has a lot of Afrikaan reggae vocals. Mahesh Shankar is a recognised composer down South. Here he chooses to come up with a song, which pretends to be Punjabi in spirit, complete with the voice of Labh Janjua. But "Punjabi spirit" falls flat. The theme song of the film has been sung by Bonnie Chakraborty. While all these songs are pretty boisterous, Kal ki tarah is refreshingly sedate and sweet. Musical chants
Waheguru Jaap (Mystica Music): Film releases are few but private albums are coming in droves. Mystica Music releases spiritual compositions by its head Anandmurti Gurumaa regularly. They are well produced, and popularise chants from all religions. Here she does Waheguru jaap in her mellifluous voice. Music is by Kanchman Babbar. Prashant (tabla), Rakesh (percussion), Jitu G (keyboard), Raju Khan (harmonium) and Arshad (Israj) provide able support.
— ASC |
|
Literary crusade SD Sharma Meri khoobi se nikhrney
nahin deta mujhko, jabr uska ye ubharney nahin deta mujhko/ Saans leine
ki ijazat bhi nahin deta hai, Aur jaan se bhi guzraney nahin deta mujhko. Predicaments of womanhood like gender disparity or secondary
status, subjugation by demanding husband and prevailing male dominance
in the modern social structure find an eloquent expression in the
couplets of Urdu poet Rubina Shabnam. Born with the sensibility of a
poet and literary temperament and living amidst realities of life Rubina
has emerged as a crusader and literary exponent for socio-cultural
reformation and women empowerment as amply reflected in her over
half-a-dozen books in Urdu, Persian and Punjabi. Presently working as
a lecturer in Urdu and Persian in the Nawab Sher Mohammad Institute of
Punjabi University, Patiala, Rubina is known as the golden girl for her
academic excellence and literary genius. Unrivalled as the only woman
holding a doctorate in Urdu in this region, Rubina had won gold medal
twice as the university topper in MA Urdu in 1994 and MA Persian in
1998. She is also a regular participant in national-level mushaiaras at
prestigious venues like the Red Fort in New Delhi. The glory of being at
the top of the world again revisited her as the Punjab state honour was
bestowed on her on the Independence Day in 2008 for her contributions to
Urdu literature. The success story of Rubina is not only a saga of
courage and conviction but a glaring testimony of a volcanic courage and
dedication which inspires many. While at the zenith of her career, she
talks about her humble beginning that started from a Madrasa. She
attributes her success as a teacher, poet and a critic of standing to
her husband, Mohd. Saleem Khilji, an advocate. Endowed with grand
imagination, command over the language and ability to establish an
instant rapport with the audience, Rubina is sought-after poet in Urdu,
Hindi and Punjabi mushairas by All-India Radio, Doordrashan and private
organisations. "Penning down poetry is easier than doing critical
appreciation to perfection, especially of the works of legends like
Parvin Shakir or Bushra Ejaz, which I had done and won appreciation, she
claims. After her six books and poetry collections in Urdu and Punjabi
more are in the offing. Asked about their thematic contents and she
recites — Har ek raah mein khushboo nisaar karma hai, Hamein
gulon ki rabish ikhtyar karma hai/ Voh be --misaal agar hai toh aiyana
dekh kar, ussi ke teer se uska shikaar karma hai." lifestyle@tribunemail.com
|
|
Aishwarya looked a virtual Snow White on the Cannes red carpet
The 35-year-old actor
attended the premiere of the inaugural film Up at Palais De
Festival in Cannes on Wednesday with the newly announced L’Oreal world
spokesperson, The actor, who was accompanied by her actor husband Abhishek Bachchan, sashayed down the red carpet in the ruffled gown that accentuated her stunning figure. Aishwarya accessorised it with red peeptoe heels, a swarovski red box clutch, pearl-drop earrings and chunky rings. The actor paired her designer gown with minimalistic make-up and her hair with auburn highlights, was elegantly styled in an up-do. Her latest Cannes outings are a far cry from her first appearance at the French festival where she was criticised for her bad fashion choices. Aishawarya, who became the first Indian actor to become a part of prestigious Cannes jury in 2003, said, "As a jury member at Cannes, I had the experience of enjoying cinema as it is, irrespective of where it comes from, who is the maker, from which country which is similar to the diverse Indian cinema." Apart from Aishwarya, yeasteryear diva Sharmila Tagore, who is a jury member at the French festival, also made an appearance in a yellow print sari. The other Indian stars expected to join the Bollywood brigade at the Cannes are Anil Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Karan Johar, who hopes to negotiate a global release for his Shahrukh Khan-starrer My Name Is Khan and Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor’s film Jehaad with the foreign distributors. Other international celebrities, who attended the opening were jury president Isabelle Huppert, Robin Wright Penn, Claude Lelouch, Tilda Swinton, Jean Rochefort, Elsa Zylberstein, Agnes Varda and Said Taghmaoui. — PTI
|
|
Glitterati to causerati
As a step in that direction, the Bollywood diva will, alongside Queen Noor of Jordan, addressed a press conference on Thursday at Hotel Martinez at Cannes to announce the third edition of the International Tribunes Cinema Verite event that will take place in Geneva (Oct 6 to 8) and Paris (Oct 9-10) later this year. Cinema Verite is a special film event dedicated to films and social actions that promote human rights and the eight Millennium Development Goals adopted by the United Nations. The Cinema Verite event, hosted by the Cinema Verite Institute, has in the past years seen the participation of Hollywood actors like Susan Sarandon, Meg Ryan, Ellen Birkin and Sharon Stone. Aishwarya will be the first non-Hollywood actor to lend her name to the cause. Her husband, Abhishek Bachchan, who was in Cannes to attend the opening ceremony of the 62nd Cannes Film festival, was also be present at the press meet. This year’s Cinema Verite event will include a special focus on India with the screening of Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkar Raj, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya and Abhishek. The drama had Aishwarya in the role of an executive of a power sector multinational who is sent to oversee the setting up of a plant in rural India. Also to be screened at the Cinema Verite event is Bullshit, a documentary made by Swedish filmmakers Pea Holmquist and Suzanne Khardalian about the work and vision of Indian environmental activist and nuclear physicist Vandana Shiva and her organisation, Navdanya. The 73-minute-film was shot over a period of two years and followed Vandana as she, among other things, supervised work on her organic farm at the foot of the Himalayas, took on American biotech giant Monsanto and fought alongside the Dalit villagers of Kerala to try and close down a Coca-Cola plant. — IANS
|
|
Face in the crowd After Bollywood actors Aishwarya Rai and Sonam Kapoor, Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto is the latest celebrity from India to join the star-studded line-up of cosmetic giant L’Oreal Paris. The Mumbai native has been announced as the international spokesperson for the Paris-based beauty brand. The 24-year-old actor joins a long list of the brand’s celebrity associations, which includes Hollywood A-listers like Jennifer Aniston, Beyonce, Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz and Eva Longoria, reported Marie Claire magazine online. "I am very moved to be joining the great L’Oreal Paris family and all these personalities, a family I am now proud to be a part of,’ said Pinto about her new role. The model-turned-actor, who became an overnight Hollywood sensation with the success of her debut film, Slumdog Millionaire, is currently shooting for Julian Schnabel’s movie Miral in Israel and has also been signed on for Woody Allen’s next venture. Pinto joins Lost actor Evangeline Lily and Scrubs star Elizabeth Banks, who have also been revealed as the brand’s new ambassadors. — PTI
|
|
Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan is set to attend the special screening of his much-talked about film Kites with co-star Barbara Mori, said his father Rakesh Roshan, who also added that he will project the movie as his production house’s first truly international product. Director Anurag Basu will also be there with them at Cannes. "Yes Hrithik, Anurag, representatives from Big Pictures and I will be in Cannes. Barbara Mori will be joining us from Mexico. We’ll be screening a specially prepared trailer of Kites on May 15. Then on May 16, we’ll screen the film at Cannes for international buyers." "We hope to pitch Kites as our production house’s first truly international product. " said Rakesh Roshan. — IANS
|
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Sardari Lal Prasher (1904-1990) - a master of English literature and India's most significant sculptor, painter, social reformer and art educationist. The name is not very familiar amongst the people like other Indian contemporary artists. As he never wanted to commercialise his creation, art was just a spiritual journey for him. 
In 1931 Rabinder Nath Tagore remarked about his portrait, "You have caught my expression. Yes, you have got it, I like it very much." This marks a stamp on the development of Prasher's career. 1936 was a turning point in the life of Prasher when he joined Mayo School of Art, as a teacher and later became the vice- Principal. In 1938, he married Lajjya Kapila, daughter of his uncle from Burma and had four daughters and a son.
He designed and executed Public art work at various places in India - two sculpture mural at Nirman
Bhawan, New Delhi, a memorial sculpture Pdt. Digamber Paluskar in New Delhi, mural for Telecommunication building, Janpath, New Delhi, mural for the Department of Mathematics at Panjab University and many more. His works are in the collection Museum of Contemporary Art, New Delhi, Museum of Modern Art, Chandigarh and besides many private collections in India, West Germany, Spain, Belgium, England, Netherlands and France. 
99 (SA RE GA MA): The future of this film, like most others awaiting release, is caught up in the multiplex-producers controversy, but its music, which has been released will have nothing to blame if it does not click. Making a niche for itself is not going to be an easy task, considering that it is a mix of good (some) and bad (most). The overall impact is hardly encouraging. 
Bollywood diva Aishwarya Rai
Bachchan stood out amongst the bevy of international beauties at the
opening of this year’s Cannes Film Festival in her off-shoulder white
Roberto Cavalli gown.
Aishwarya Rai, a regular at
the Cannes Film Festival red carpet and L’Oreal brand ambassador, is
going beyond her glitz and glamour tag. She is beginning to reinvent
herself on the global scene as an activist for social and humanitarian
causes.
Hrithik, Barbara head for Cannes to promote Kites