The Tagore Theatre controversy refuses to die down. First, its renovation drew a lot of flak from conservationists who made their grievances public at different fora. The reason — by giving it a new look, the city was robbed of a heritage building, which had so much sentiment attached to it. Well, like any other uprising, which settles down with time, this one did too, but only to raise its head once again. Reason this time — exorbitant money artistes have to shell out to stage a show here.

Other side of story Being a theatre person himself, Tagore Theatre’s director Rajnish Wattas too feels the pinch that the city artistes are feeling due to the rental hike. However, he feels the hike was necessary keeping in view the state of the art facilities the new Tagore is providing which is at par with any good national-level auditorium. “Considering that the electricity bill comes up to Rs 30,000 the rates are in fact quite subsidised. And to make things easier on the pockets there are various categories. For instance, if it is a show from the Administration or Punjab or Haryana Govt, the charges are only Rs 3,000. For any of the Akademi-sponsored show it is Rs 10,000 and any college or school show the rate is Rs 15,000,” he informs.

“They should delete the ‘theatre’ bit from the name because there is no theatre happening here anymore, at least not as far as we local artistes are concerned,” is how Umesh Kant, founder of Theatre Lab, feels. Umesh Kant has joined hands with a few like-mined people of his fraternity and has given a request letter to the Administration for making it accessible to cash-starved theatre people here in the city. “Not that we expect much to come out of it,” adds Kant with a note of disappointment.

His frustration is quite understandable from his words; “It takes about Rs 30,000 to stage a show at the Tagore these days while our production budget does not exceed beyond Rs 25,000. How can we even think about having a show at the Tagore Theatre?” he questions. That is just one aspect of the problem. In a city like Chandigarh, where entertainment tax on any ticketed show is as high as 80 per cent of the total review, the increased capacity of the theatre is adding to their woes. “With the capacity being increased up to 1200 seats, it means we will have to pay for all 850 seats if we ever take that step. And in a city where not too many people turn up even for free shows, if it is by local theatre outfits, you can well imagine how many will actually turn up if we put up an entry fee,” he explains.

Fact file w Rs 50,000 for a ticketed show for four hours w Rs 25, 000 for a sponsored show for four hours w Rs 7,500 security deposits, which is refundable after one week. w The hall is given three hours prior to the actual show w Depositing another 50 per cent of the total rent can do the daylong booking.

Lyricist S. Rakesh of the Swar Sankalp Society, who has been a regular at Tagore since 1989, has shifted his biannual music shows to Law Bhavan. The reason—the astronomical booking price. “The theatre was meant to be a shrine for artistes, but now it is almost out of our reach,” says Rakesh. Besides, now with the new design, they find it difficult to put posters.

The theatre fraternity is not the only ones to be hit by the price hike. “To have an individual show at the Tagore is a distant dream now,” says Bharatnatyam dancer Suchitra Mitra who had given a couple of recitals, both organised by the UT Administration, at the renovated Tagore. “The price hike is one thing, which is making it inaccessible to many of us. Other than that the theatre has lost its intimate appeal because of its larger sitting capacity. Even in a good day in terms of audience, the hall looks nearly empty which is disheartening for a performer,” she adds.

Some are clever enough to find a solution to this problem though. “To give it a filled- up look we leave the front 500 seats and barricade the rest,” says Atul Khanna, who has staged a couple of performances under the aegis of the Durga Das Foundation. And as for the price range, Khanna understands that the hike was required for maintenance of the theatre though he feels the price should cover an entire day rather than a few fixed hours. “When you bring a production from outside they need to set up the place, which needs almost the entire day. One has to pay extra for that extra time which is unfair,” he says.

While the artiste lot heaves a sigh of relief for good new Randhawa auditorium at Punjab Kala Bhavan-16 and sought it out as an alternative to good ol’ Tagore, sources at Tagore Theatre say the number of shows has gone down from 25 on an average per month to 15 these days. One just hopes that the curtain does not come down completely on this Mecca of the city’s cultural scene.

parbina@tribunemail.com

Relaxing in the comfy chair at the office of All-India Radio, after many brainstorming sessions and broadcasting schedules, the memories of good old days flashes through his mind — his ghazal singing days at AIR. We are talking about M.R. Chandla, who has just joined as station director in the city.

Working as a senior auditor at the AG office-Punjab and a sought-after amateur ghazal singer with the AIR, he was a regular performer at Tagore Theatre-18 and Gaiety Theatre-Shimla. However, he never dreamt of being the director with no godfather to bless. But his resolve to work hard and love for Indian classical music has paid off.

Born to a noted musical family at Kartarpur, young Chandla learnt the nuances of music from his elder brother and guru Sudama Ram. Besides Pandit Yashpaul, M.L. Bali and Gopal Dass Garg contributed their bits to sharpen his aesthetic potential. 

Holding a master’s degree in Hindustani vocal from Panjab University, Chandla cleared the prestigious UPSC examination in 1988 to join the Urdu service of the AIR- New Delhi. Later serving as programme executive and assistant director in-charge of AIR-Patiala, Hamirpur and Dharamsala. The city-bred man now has been elevated to the prestigious Indian Broadcasting Service cadre. He talks to Lifestyle about his life, career and more.

From a modest beginning to the IBS. What was the driving force?

Life is not a riddle to be solved, but an opportunity to explore with a logical approach and positive attitude. As a self-made person, I keep on learning form life’s experiences and act accordingly.

With the spurt of TV channels how effective will be the AIR network to preserve and disseminate Indian ethical values and culture?

Not withstanding the cultural pollution going unchecked in private channels, the All-India Radio with over 250 primary, CBS (Commercial Broadcasting Service) and FM stations is reaching to the grassroots level. Our programmes are meticulously visualised and executed keeping the aspirations and cultural traditions of the region in mind.

Backed with the experience of an artiste and senior executive, how you plan to serve the region?

It is on my priority list to elevate the existing CBS level of AIR station to the primary channel status with all facilities for recording and broadcasting programmes like AIR Jallandhar. Meanwhile, with the view to promote local talent, I will try to cover maximum programmes of music and theatre, seminars and symposiums for the 30-45 minutes slot. We had some programmes for the youth and I hope to introduce some more for other segments of society, including senior citizens.

lifestyle@tribunemail.com

w In Bollywood’s dream cabinet, it would be Slumdog Millionaire sensation Frieda Pinto who will be handling the Ministry of Overseas and Foreign Affairs for her uncanny knack of handling affairs with foreigners, read Dev Patel.

w Bong Bombshell Bipasha Basu would be a perfect choice for the Ministry of Environment as the “hot” actor was one of the primary reasons for global warming.

w Bollywood star Salman Khan was made the Minister of Defence owing to his real life role of over-protective boyfriend to Katrina.

Popular among the youth, Katrina Kaif bagged the Youth Affairs Ministry

w Ghajini star Aamir Khan was handed over the Ministry of Home Affairs for his ability to spend the most time at home and yet have the biggest blockbusters to his credit.

w Akshay Kumar, would be the Finance Minister because with his income he could finance the entire population.

w The hosts opined that Katrina Kaif should be the Youth Affairs minister because the stunning actor recently became the ‘Most Googled’ face— a hit with the youngsters.

w Interestingly Bollywood siren Mallika Sherawat was thought fit for the Ministry of Upliftment for the poverty stricken lot of the country.

w Director Ashutosh Gowariker was assigned the Agriculture Ministry for educating the westerners about the poor plight of the farmers with the Oscar nominated film Lagaan.

w Filmmaker Rakesh Roshan would be the ideal Coal minister because his film Koyla was proof that he was an expert when it came to the mineral.

w Muscle man Sunny Deol will be perfect for the Law and Transport minister while Vivek Oberoi was selected as the Telecommunications minister because he is quick to make calls when necessary. — PTI 

Bollywood’s own ‘daredevil’ Akshay Kumar met the machine of his match when he shot with Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible bike for Sajid Nadiadwala’s multi-starrer Kambakkht Ishq. “There was a scene shot with Akshay Kumar recently. The actor has used Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible bike. Sajid also hired action director Franco Soleman who created Tom Cruises stunt,” a source on the sets of the film said. American actor Denise Richards’s cameo was shot in another Hollywood bombshell Jessica Alba’s swimming pool.

“It is a well-known fact that Denise Richards makes her Bollywood debut in Kambakkht Ishq. Few know that her introductory scene was shot at Jessica Alba’s pool. Jessica was present too. It was quite a thing to have two of the hottest women around,” the unit member revealed.

Nadiadwala, the film’s producer, has left no stone turned to get the best for his biggest release this year, with an international star cast and exotic locales.

Kambakkht Ishq releasing on July 3 is one of the most awaited films this year and has Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor in the lead. Adding to the star cast are Hollywood A-listers like Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Routh and former Bond girl Denise Richards, who plays herself in the movie. — PTI

For Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, the IIFA week could well have been a second honeymoon. The couple, clearly very much in love in their second year of marriage, showed something rather rare in their public life otherwise—their affection for each other very publicly at the various International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards events and also during stage activities at the grand finale show at this entertainment and gambling hub that is a Special Administrative Region of China.

In the company of Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan most of the time as they walked the green carpets at the three nightly events that saw hundreds of fans behind barriers screaming for autographs and a handshake, the couple readily obliged. Aishwarya even playfully pulled Abhishek along by the hands at one stage when she thought he was taking too long in moving along as he chatted to the media.

But it was during the awards ceremony Saturday night that the couple revelled in their love for each other amidst their performances on stage. “Baby, you’re the best,” Abhishek said off the stage as he accepted the award for the Best Comic Role playing a pseudo-gay character in the hit film Dostana last year.

Earlier, when Aishwarya got the award for outstanding achievement by an Indian in global cinema, she said in her thanks to all her family: “You’re the best husband!”

Towards the end of the show, as Abhishek danced through the 15,000-seater packed auditorium, he stopped by Aishwarya’s seat and even got her to jump up and dance with him in front of her seat.

When Abhishek broke down and choked with emotion about how he had aspired to be like his father when he saw his role in Amar Akbar Anthony, as a child the shared emotion was clear on Aishwarya’s face. And every time that he laughed or joked, she showed great joy too. The same was true for Abhishek whenever Aishwarya was on stage, and the huge crowd lapped it all up with thunderous applause. The love story that was the toast of Bollywood two years ago clearly continues to make waves. —IANS 

Out of sight, out of mind. The old adage probably needs to be looked at differently in the light of new beaming technology. Even when it is out of sight, you don’t have to sulk or brood, for you can find solace in pictures mailed to you by your friends. Better still, post your pictures on photo sharing sites and let the whole world know what you are doing. Now, haven’t we been saying ‘distance’ is no longer an issue?

Here you go. Photo sharing sites, which allow all and sundry to click pictures and post them to respective sites so that your known and unknown ones can have a good look at what you are up to. So, click and post, pictures of your favourite holiday destinations, friends hanging out at lounge, of you trying bungee jumping, your girl friends dog, your office pals, you with your new bike, well, everything.

Anjali Sharma, a make-up artiste from Mohali, can’t help talking about her photo sharing experience on flickr. “I posted few sunset pictures on flickr few months back, and I got some amazing scarps. I have registered with this site, and now I upload pictures almost regularly. So much so, I am thinking of holding an photo exhibition by amateur shutterbugs.” She laughs, “This site has made a photographer out of me.” Photo sharing sites like shutterfly, picsquare, korpus, webshots, picasa (you need a Gmail account for this) allow you to share a complete picture book. And some like imagebazaar can be used for business purpose as well.

Adds Neeraj Saxena, a city-based businessman and a freelance photographer, “Photograph sharing sites allow you to organise, store and share digital photos conveniently. The best part about online photo albums is that you can share pictures with everyone in the world. All you need to do is register with the site and upload your pictures with relatives and friends. Also, you don’t have to wait to get back home and tell your friends how much you enjoyed your holiday. Wherever you are, just upload your pictures and let everyone seek what a good time you are having.”

Sites like picsquare allow you to upload your photos, but also order personalise greeting cards, mugs, t-shirts and send them to your near and dear ones.

“Videos and slideshows are a popular and most-used feature of most photo –sharing sites, says Manveen Sandhu, a student of law from Panjab University. “Busying and selling of pictures is also done through various sites. Here, you can pick pictures of your choice, and order for it.” Manveen feels that photo sharing sites also help people to hone their photography skills. “Some of my friends click pictures just to upload on flickr or myphotoalbum and they get great response for it as well.”

jasmine@tribunemail.com

IDEA Cellular, through its association with Research In Motion (RIM), has launched a broad range of BlackBerry® smartphones and services for enterprise and individual customers on its network, in Punjab.

The BlackBerry solution provides customers with easy wireless access to office email, web mails like Yahoo and Gmail, phone, calendar, other web and multimedia applications, as well as access to thousands of other mobile business and lifestyle applications. Users can also access GPRS on their phone and use BlackBerry as modems for internet usage on laptop and PCs.

IDEA subscribers can download music on their Blackberry, which supports MP3 files, and can Chat using Google talk instant messenger. As per Anish Roy, chief operating officer – Punjab, Himanchal Pradesh and J&K, IDEA Cellular said, “With the launch of broad range of Blackberry solutions on our network, customers can now enjoy the freedom and productivity benefits of using the BlackBerry solution, and stay connected with people and information, while on the move.” —TNS 

This is a list of some common, old and forgotten recommendations for a healthy and secure PC and is a good start to keep your computer running properly and fast for a long time. Hard drive fragmentation: Believe it or not, many people have never even heard of hard drive fragmentation, or the process of de-fragmentation, when you install a software or create files and data on your hard disk drive.

The most efficient way of storing this data would be in one continuous disk file. However, files are not always stored this way, or are initially stored this way and later become split up, or fragmented. Because of this, when the data or file is retrieved, the hard drive must be searched in multiple places just to combine data that makes up one file. This slows things down. If you are running Windows 2000, Windows XP or Vista, you should perform a disk defrag at least once every two weeks, more if possible. All of my systems run this process once every week.

Installing games and disk intensive software: If you’re a gamer, or regularly use disk intensive software, the above defragmentation process will help. However, you can also take another step to make things move faster. If you have two physically separate disk drives in your system, I suggest that you use one primarily for the operating system and related software, and devote the other physical disk for installing games and other disk intensive applications. This cuts down on the competition for disk resources between your operating system and other applications.

Virus & spyware protection: The bottom line here is to make sure you have installed some sort of anti-virus and spyware protection. Don’t just assume that the default configuration of the programme is best suited for your environment. For instance, when the anti-virus software pops up a message and tells you that your subscription is about to expire, don’t hit the ignore button. Take a break from what you are doing and renew your virus signature subscription. Not only will this keep you up to date on newer viruses, it will allow your software package to update to newer versions. The same thing goes for spyware protection. There are plenty of free spyware protection solutions on the net, none are perfect, but most do the job. 

Firewall protection: If you are not using a firewall, then you are just asking for trouble. Actually, there is a significant chance that your system is already compromised if you have no firewall protection at all. Many cable/DSL router combo devices have built in firewall protection, and this is at least a good start. However, if you have Windows XP SP2 or anything above that, go ahead and enable the built-in firewall as it will provide you another level of protection.

Installing & uninstalling applications: Every time you install a new application or piece of software, you increase the time it takes to boot your PC and in some cases decrease its performance. Also, when you uninstall software, not all the software gets uninstalled in many cases. One thing I suggest is to download and install a registry cleaner. This can dramatically decrease boot times and in many cases increase the overall performance of your PC.

Download from Internet: When you download any software from Internet, make sure you pay close attention to everything you are agreeing to or checking off on the various pages that lead up to the final download. As with everything else, make sure you read the fine print. You may be agreeing to download and install something you don’t need but which may affect the security and performance of you PC.

Installing operating system & application patches: If you are using Windows XP, make sure that automatic updates are turned on. This is very important. Microsoft releases security and bug fixes routinely and some of them are critical in nature. Something people tend to overlook is updating and patching their applications. For instance, Microsoft Office has critical security patches and performance enhancements available in the form of patches and service packs. It’s not just operating system bugs that can put you at risk, but applications too.

Updating drivers: Similar to the above, hardware manufacturers routinely update their drivers. This includes video cards, sounds cards, capture cards, system boards, you name it. Some manufacturers have started to release automatic updates for their hardware. Make sure you check these sites regularly and when a driver update is available, install it.  

What do your children download: I can’ tell you how many times I have been told by people that they have no idea how something got installed on their computer. Usually their second sentence contains “one of my children must have downloaded it”. The first thing that comes to mind is “why do parents let kids download whatever they like in the first place” this is not a toy. Not only can this severely impact the security and performance of your computer, who knows what your kids are getting their hands on.

Rebuilding your operating system: If you are not familiar with system imaging software, I suggest you read up on them. This allows you to not only re-install the base operating system and applications by hitting just one button, but can save you big time in the event of a system disaster.

amitpalsinghgrewal@gmail.com 

The Asus eco-friendly Laptop/Note book series, Bamboo is not the lone highlight of this series it is installed with advanced Green batteries which perform 35 to 70 per cent longer battery life and a 23 percent enhancement in Notebook performance. These Bamboo machines come with a regular 12.1 inch and a smaller 11.1 inches screens.

The notebook with the large screen comes power packed with GeForce 9300M GS, 2.5” harddisk of the capacity up to 320GB, 8-in-1 card reader and 0.3 megapixel web cam plus an integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi.

The notebook with the smaller form factor comes equipped with Intel Core Duo processor U7600, DDR2 667 MHz SDRAM, 32GB SSD, rest all are general Laptop / Notebook features.