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Laughter challenge
In most communities, 'he' holds an esteemed position in the family. He is consulted on important matters, even before buying a six-seater sofa set. He has to be available at all major occasions, and if he isn't, it can lead to tongues wagging. He's the jijaji.
Jaspal Bhatti captures the essence of this relationship in a comedy on SAB TV: Thank you Jijaji, starting on August 3. We share funny notes with the cast and crew, all of it from the city. All the more reason why you should look out for it. Regional flavours
Yes, comedy makes for a successful film genre, which most channels are now cashing in on. Doesn't this make all comedies look the same, like the rona-dhona sitcoms? Jaspal Bhatti, who has written and directed Thank You Jijaji, shares, "Laughter reality shows were getting repetitive, but this is not true for the comedies on SAB. Thank You Jijaji deals with a sensitive relationship, which has been captured in the form of healthy family comedy. Whether he is a Gujarati or a Bihari, a Jijaji is a VIP with all." The best part about the new show is the cast and crew, which is essentially from Jaspal Bhatti's Mad Arts acting academy. "I can mould the students according to their roles. Also, they have are getting an exposure on the national level, something they are excited about," adds Bhatti, who plays the title role of Jijaji. Brother-in-law in distress
"I am a jijaji of a senior IAS officer, a connection he flaunts with aplomb. On the overdose of comedy, Bhatti clarifies, "Jijaji...will be showcased once a week on SAB that will help retain its quality. Sanju Solanki from Rajpura plays S.S Sandhu, an IAS officer in the Excise and Taxation Department who always has to bow down before his jijaji. But in real life, Sanju will never cow down in any situation. "Life is unpredictable, a fact that I have accepted, and am living it every minute," says Sanju, who has worked with Jaspal Bhatti in Professor Money Plant and Ladla Driver. " I did theatre for quite sometime till I realised it was giving me satisfaction but no money. So, I left all kinds of acting for a while to concentrate on my work. But when Bhatti approached me for the role, there was no way I could have refused it," he adds. "There is an unexplained comfort level that I share with Bhatti. He is great with one- liners and of course, comedy as a whole." Once an actor, always an actor. "Honestly, I was itching to act. An artiste cannot stay away from the stage and camera for long." Happy times are here
Anooj Kapoor, senior vice-president and business head with SAB, talks about the growth in the viwership because of light- hearted content being offered through comedy shows on the channel. He claims, "Recent TAM reports show SAB steadily inching forward by crossing 67 GRPs. The endeavour is to provide positive and light comedies. I guess, the audience is no longer interested in the 62 derivatives of saas-bahu serials." Anooj says that the channel has applied to the Guinness Book Of World Records for being the only channel making daily family comedies. jasmine@tribunemail.com |
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As you lake it
Synonymous with the city, with a distinctive character and a landmark worth its name—-Sukhna Lake is something we all can relate to. Giving a spirit to the city, the lake, which is not a natural water body, is one place that attracts local residents and tourists alike. Calling it the Ganga of Chandigarh, former principal of the Chandigarh College of Architecture, Rajnish Wattas, who has penned a coffee-table book on it, Sukhna: Sublime Lake of Chandigarh, talks about its past, present and future. "The book was conceptualised way back in 2007 at a photo exhibition put up by Pradeep Mahajan on the Sukhna. UT Administrator Gen (retd) S.F. Rodrigues came up with the idea of writing a book on the lake. And today, we have this book, which has 100 photographs depicting the various moods and shades of the lake and its 180 pages talk about how the lake was created for utilisation by the city and for its future. In the book, I have also proposed a number of revamp projects for its beautification," says Wattas. Ask him why did he choose the lake for his book and he says, "Sukhna is like the Ganga to the city. It is part of our daily life. It provides amusement, is a place to rejoice in, lends peace and tranquility to the life of its residents. Nothing could have been better to write on." We agree. Coming back to the book again, what all does it talk about and he says, "The book starts with the origin of the lake. Sukhna was created in 1958 following the vision of P.L Verma (the chief engineer who was working on damming the Sukhna Choe, a seasonal stream coming down from the Shivalik Hills.) It was later given a concrete shape by French master architect Le Corbusier." Well, the book also talks about various points of the lake, the concept behind the lights, lake club house, a chapter on the birds that visit the it and lastly, the proposals for the beautification and landscaping of the lake. About the pictures in the book, he says, "Pradeep Mahajan, a freelance photographer, has clicked them and we have covered all the moods and shades of the lake. Some archival pictures have also been used, including two rare pictures." We ask this regular visitor to the lake for the past 35 years, how has the lake changed over the years. "The lake has become a crowded place these days, but that's not a big issue; the major causes of concern are the falling water level, silting problems and environmental issues and we need do to something about them to save the lifeline of the city." jigyasa@tribunemail.com
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Spacial effects
With the wellness industry burgeoning in India, Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty joined the bandwagon and launched her own medi spa in Mumbai. Shilpa roped in evergreen Bollywood diva and yesteryear's actor Rekha to launch her medi spa 'IOSIS' whom she believes is the epitome of "timeless beauty and wellness".
The medi spa is the joint venture of Entrepreneur in the Beauty and Wellness industry, Kiran Bawa and Shilpa. Shilpa feels that the wellness and beauty industry is growing and her idea behind the medi spa is to help people rediscover them. "I think the wellness industry is growing day-by-day. Beauty today is a business. I think its every woman's and every man's right to look good. I feel that in today's fast paced life, people hardly find time to spend on their beauty and looks. Our idea behind opening IOSIS is that obviously people cannot do the treatments at home so we want them to spend some time with us and rediscover themselves," said
Shilpa. Besides Rekha, Shilpa's friends from Bollywood industry, Pooja Batra and Sushmita Sen were also present during the occasion. The growing demand for wellness therapies, beauty and health care products, fitness, slimming and rejuvenation programmes and cosmetic surgeries among women as well as men in India has prompted several small and mid-sized companies to enter this mushrooming market. The sector is also drawing the interest of a number of investment firms. The firms are looking to make huge investments in innovative projects in the sector in order to get rich dividends in the future. — ANI |
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Namastey London
Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan has bought a USD 20 million posh apartment in the Park Lane area of Central London.
In his recent trip to London, where he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate for his contribution to Cinema, Art and Culture by the University of Bedfordshire, the ace Bollywood star finalised the deal, asiannews.co.uk reported today. It is the highest amount any Bollywood star has paid for a property in foreign land. Shahrukh also has properties in the Gulf region with a boulevard named after him in Dubai, the website said. The superstar reportedly visits London more than once a year regularly with his family. "So far he used to stay in the best of hotels but for past few months he was eying an apartment in London," a source close to the actor was quoted in the report. On his recent trip both Shahrukh and his wife Gauri took a decision to buy the apartment especially after his kids liked it as well, the website reported.
— PTI
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With a physique his contemporaries could only dream of, Bollywood's original action hero Dharmendra says he was almost like Salman Khan in his early days when it came to leading life on his own terms. "Salman reminds me of myself. I was almost like him in my early days. I like his attitude and the way he leads his life. He has a great body too," the actor said. At an age when many of his colleagues have retired, the 73-year-old actor still pursues a tough fitness regime to work in films. "I always kept on doing regular exercise. Even today I do bench press, pranayam and horse ride, that keeps me fit," he says. The matinee idol, who has done almost every kind of roles in his long career, does not intend to retire anytime soon. "Generally receiving lifetime achievement awards means 'retirement'. But I won't sit back. There are three or four movies in the pipeline. Har Pall with Preity Zinta and Master with Sunny and Bobby after Apne. — PTI
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High five
She debuted opposite John Abraham in a film written by Mahesh Bhatt but failed to live up to expectations after that. Model-turned-actor Udita Goswami is now set to make a comeback and has five films lined up. Two opposite Akshay Kumar, two with Sunny Deol and then a supernatural thriller.
Udita is looking forward to the two films with Sunny Deol as they enable her to do something different from her earlier work. "Yes, I'm working in Fox and The Man, both of which are action films with Sunny Deol in the lead. Both films give me a chance to do something that I haven't done before," she said. Apart from these two films, she will also be seen in Chase and Hello India, both opposite Bollywood star Akshay Kumar. Udita had a good beginning in 2004 with Paap, which was directed by Pooja Bhatt. But the film didn't do as well as expected. And since then she has featured in a few movies like Zeher, Aksar, Aggar and Kisse Pyaar Karoon. So why did she sign on such few films after Paap? "Well, I had a certain thought process around signing only those films that had me in a central role. But this didn't quite work because how many women-centric films are actually made today? Guess I had to have a change in mindset and thankfully now I have revisited my priorities. Yes, I have become flexible in my choice of roles but am still particular about the banners I sign and people I work with," the actor explained. She is now attempting a different genre with her latest film Rokk, a supernatural thriller that is set to go on floors by August. " Rokk will be extremely different from anything that I have done so far. It was important that I work on diverse genres. After giving myself a break to ponder over what I really wanted to do, I decided to work on Rokk," said Udita. Rokk is about two sisters and
former Miss India Tanushree Dutta plays Udita's sister. According to Udita, the film has no heroes and the narrative is primarily character-driven. "The film is directed by this new guy called Rajesh Ranshinge," she said. "He is new to films but has been making some good supernatural thrillers for years on television. He has seen it and done it all in TV serials like Shh...Koi Hai, Aahat and CID. He is a great guy...someone who is very clear and focussed," Udita added.
— IANS |
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What a STEAL!
Bollywood actor Sunil Shetty has said that his costumes and other belongings were stolen and hinted that the theft was "organised" in connivance with the luggage handlers of the Airports Company of South Africa, which said it was unaware of the incident.
Shetty, 47, claimed that his costumes, cameras and belts were stolen after the locks of four of his bags were clipped off en route from Johannesburg to Durban for shooting of his film No Problem. "I think this happens because they can see what's in the luggage. The locks, I believe, were clipped open within 10 minutes, which means it is organised," the actor said. "You have set your look for the film and have costumes for that particular scene, which had been designed accordingly. And to arrive here and to find that they are not there is disconcerting," he said, adding that he had to rush for shopping with the film's designer. The actor claimed that he was also robbed of USD 60,000 during a trip to Durban some 12 years ago. "This is my second experience. This probably happens to tourists anywhere and everywhere in the world." However, the ACSA spokesman Colin Naidoo said he was not aware of any theft. "Nothing was reported to me. We facilitated the arrival of Shetty and other stars, and if there was a problem, it should have been brought to our attention," Naidoo said. — PTI |
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Made up
From a glam girl to historical character-Bollywood screen diva Aishwarya Rai has played a variety of roles. Now for Action Replay she will don the look of an old woman and director Vipul Shah says he hired a Hollywood make-up artist to get the right make up on her face.
If certain media reports are to be believed, Aishwarya threw tantrums about getting her make-up done by someone other than her own make-up man, but Shah says otherwise. "Ash did her old age make up with Paul, a Hollywood make-up artist. When we did it the first time, it didn't work out well. When you are doing age make-up, you can't correct it so it had to be removed fully and done again," said Shah in a statement. "It took us six hours to get her look right. We started shooting at three in the morning and the shooting went on till 7 a.m.," he said. Action Replay also stars Akshay Kumar. The story progresses backwards in time. — IANS
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Collector's Addition All those who hated history in school raise your hands! Remember getting trapped in mind-boggling dates, ever-confusing anno dominis, and BCs and what not. This once we adored studying it!
And in his mechanised spare parts business office lie the trunks that deal with history, golden era, archeology, olden times and the like and whatever we left long behind. "My parents who are based in California, USA, once brought a lot of coins in their visit to India. I was fascinated and it's been eight or nine years since I have been into accumulating these coins and currency notes," he runs the backgrounders. He continues, "My parents had a lot of coins -- round, square, oval -- it was all intriguing for me." So it is, one look and you're lost. Also in hexagon, flower shaped, in brass, copper, silver, bronze and from 1835 to 2002; each coin has a folk tale, a story, history. One of the strange little things that smell mystery! He adds, "It's a vast subject that requires ample amounts of time and devotion. At times, I am not able to keep track of what all I have." Given the collection of 5,000, that he has, understandable! And yes! Today's one rupee series or two rupee coins would sure blush to shame. So, there are some from the Mughal period, while others of the pre-Ashoka era, then of course are asharfiyans. He says, "One interesting thing about Mughal era coins is they never matched. Largely oval shaped, the casting would be of sand that made it impossible for the two to be clones of each other." Wish they took a leaf, taught history this way. He continues, "Moreover, the series would change every month. It's like they'd come up with 12 of the kind in a year, each with a date on it." Not to forget the countless coins with a hole in them. Must be a lot of hard-work, uphill task? "It's been a lot of struggle so far. Not many understand the passion, nor many encourage it." He requests to add one more thing. "A lot of people actually in their homes have rare one or two pieces. But there's no one accumulate them and all and they aren't ready to part either." Sure, there must be requests from eager beavers around to show the treasure troves? "Yes, there are requests. People come and see also. But at times, friends cock a snook saying it's waste of money and time. How will it benefit? You tell me, shouldn't we value history?" questions this 1950 Hillman owner. Yes we should and we would! Ignorant fools can wallow in the darkness! manpriya@tribunemail.com
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Director's cut
An Interaction with Manmohan Singh and Actor Harbhajan Mann Based on your long association with cinema a cinematographer and director, do you think cinema has influenced our culture?
What urged you to shift to Punjabi cinema? A total dedication to Punjabi culture. I have been following the call of my conscience. Being a post-graduate in botany, I opted for playback singing with Lataji and later did cinematography, but the love for Punjabi is supreme. Along with the great actor-singer Harbhajan Mann, I have given six films to the Punjabi world with which the hardly existing Punjabi cinema has attained its zenith. Mann-made Intervenes Mann with the comment that cinema should be loyal to its language, social realities and close to the life. “Our films are a craze in overseas market,” he says. Your comments on reality shows? Some of them have crossed the social limits, which must be checked. As far as musical shows are concerned they have contradictory attributes, I mean being so business oriented but spotting good talents.
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Spice up
During the hot and humid season, make-up never seems to last. It's better to stay away from heavy foundation and go for compact powder. Compact powder is pressed powder and reduces that oily, sweaty look. The skin appears fresher and cleaner. Compact powders are also ideal for touching up. Carry wet tissues and compact powder in your handbag, to refresh both skin and make-up.
Eye make-up trends favour the smoky look. Apply eyeliner on the upper lid, close to the lashes and then smudge it with a sponge applicator or a cotton bud. For the lower eyelids, apply eyeliner and then get the smudged effect with a little eyes shadow. During the rainy season, waterproof eyeliner or eye pencil would be better. Go easy on it. Golden bronze or silver-grey shadow may be good for night make up. For the lips, frosted sheen is popular. A frosty glimmer would be better than gloss during the humid season. Go for pale pinks, mauves and earthy colours. Red and shades of red, like cherry, rose and plum are making a comeback. A warm red would be good for the night. The trend is towards the natural look, with less blush-on. A faint flush would be suitable. Go for powder blushers. Keep your lipsticks in the fridge during the monsoon. In fact, skin tonic can also be kept in the fridge, chilled and ready for use. It can be most refreshing and help to close the pores. Ayurveda suggests some remedies to decrease sweating. Sip "nimbu paani". Sip ginger tea before and after your meals. Chop fresh ginger root finely and mix with a pinch of salt. Chew a little of this before your meal. Sipping warm water with your meal may also help. Light diet and less spices are advised. Eat smaller meals. |
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Engaging eves
You don’t spend three years in college. Nobody does. Did someone just say, ‘It’s like a tag.’ No uniforms, no school buses, no restrictions, no homework, no…No. No wonder, the entire college life’s one big yes! What’s more, we at Lifestyle think each college has a character, which is why starting today, we strive to capture this very uniqueness of the institution concerned. A brand new campus, every week; college life cut, dried and clarified! Here are the four essential Cs of the institution. And our pick of the week is MCM DAV College-36, boys you can join in too!
College speak
There’s something unnerving about principals! All of them. Isn’t it? That high-school image of stiff-necked, strict disciplinarians. And as we enter Puneet Bedi’s room, there’s a string of visitors wanting those ‘just two minutes’. A screen displaying every bit and part of the goings-on in every corner. We told you. So, what makes her college stand apart? “Many things. But mainly quality education and quality ambience. You must have noticed that immediately on stepping inside.” She adds, “Moreover, we always tell students what not to do, where to sit. Here, we also tell them, what to do, where to sit.” We get the point. Class apart
We’ll spell in one breath. Gymnasium hall, multi-media hall, two open-air theatres, expressions gallery, chit-chat corner. Now, the details. Everything’s got the essential girlie touch, right from the old open-air theatre in hues of pink, yellow and green to the chit-chat corner (as the name suggests, where girls can talk, talk and talk), all kaleidoscopic. By the way, the multi-media hall’s been done up in nice hues of yellow and red and if you wanna strum a guitar or the like, the expressions gallery is the place to be. Imagine a landscape of country side huts dotted with mushrooms props. Garima Hooda, final year student, casually questions, “Isn’t the infrastructure of our college really nice?” Yes it is! Canteen connect
That’s one thing these gals can boast of. A quick round and one sees a coffee bar, juice shop. Oh, did we forget, the chat shop opens in another day and the main canteen inside dishes out everything possible! Outside, Maggi appears to be the most pressed button on the menu scroll. There’s a bookshop too, hosting variety of knick-knacks synonymous with female brigade. Crowd puller
Girls, girls and girls! Never mind, the eager beaver boys stationed outside, hoping to catch a pretty face. There’s no dearth of colourful, clever, cute-looking bunches high on the fashion quotient. What’s in? Well, the Katrina Kaif- inspired check pants, capris, hot pants, what not. A little attempt at overhearing and the girls could be heard discussing fashion. ‘It feels so nice to be here. I can paint my nails, grow them a little big, wear all that I shopped for!’ confides a first year student. manpriya@tribunemail.com |
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Back to school
They’re a proud a bunch ‘school snobs’ and absolutely unapologetic! So, what school you came from…sorry guys, it isn’t just a question and it isn’t easy getting over either. Getting over the days, when going down on a basketball game to rival school was a big issue, when annual functions were the only D-days, when pleated uniform was hated, assemblies appeared biggest formality, happiness hooked to weekly unit tests. Here’s hiding the slam book pages, turning the yearbooks and asking a loyal few what makes schools…undeniably ‘the most important institution’. What makes them get so far, go out of their way, only to be back?
Rattanamol Johal, 2005 pass out, rescheduled his summer visit from the US to overlap with the recently held Vivek High School’s 25th anniversary. “I just had to make it to this event. The EVA had been a little inactive and about two years ago I had it in my mind this landmark event coming up.” The Ex-Vivekites Association members dedicated over a month for the rehearsals of Oscar Wilde’s Importance of Being Earnest. He adds, “Who knows whether we’d be able to make it for the fiftieth.” Paramvir Singh Baidwan, Class of 2005, YPS-Mohali, made sure to not only fly from Mumbai for the OYA event, but also rope in other Splitsvilla contestants to jazz things up. Spell school and he’s willing, “I was a very shy guy and but a lot into sports, was part of hockey team.” He laughs, “We were supposed to wear those boring PT shoes so we would bunk our games hour and the YPS is a really big school, there are so many places to hide.” We’re talking school allegiance and every which way of professing it. Yadvindrian, Stephenian, Sanawarian, Vivekite, Kabirite, Johnian, that’s how the lingo goes and you better be one! Laughs Param, “Even I have a sticker behind my car that proudly declares Yadvindrian.” See! He continues, “It’s a trend of sorts, saying we’re the super cool dudes and stuff like that. But on a serious note, I think it all emanates from deep sense of attachment.” And seriously speaking, Abhinav Bindra, didn’t skip St. Stephen’s School among his first few visits after the Beijing Olympics. J.J. Last season alumni meet witnessed a string of celebs like J. J. Vallaya and Rina Dhaka turning to their alma matter. What exactly brings them back? An attempt to keep the school spirit alive or get the sense of belonging back? Navpreet Aujla, ex-president, SJOBA (St. John’s Old Boys Association), says, “During our December reunion students come from all over the world. It’s because of school we are whatever we are.” As Rattan says, “Such deep sense of identity and attachment’s there in boarding schools as well. In Chandigarh, it’s like small-set up, close knit family. You come to school, come back again for rehearsals.” He adds, “The last play I did happened to be when I was in Class XI, so it definitely feels like those good old days.” Can’t live them, can recall them, can attempt reliving them! manpriya@tribunemail.com |
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Bakwaas Bytes
Heyeee…muah muah…so how have you been? Ok, lend me your ear quick, fast, before anyone sees! We happen to go wherever you hang out, so we know what you wanna know…and we tell you what you should or better know! They aren’t latest Boyzone lyrics!
Shh…interested in my teeny-weeny little sting operation? I mean, a campus sting operation? We were just spotting bubbly beautiful faces, some handsome hunks, wondering who’ll rule the fashion scene this session, who’ll be the popular new faces of campus and this wannabe leader walks up, “Excuse me, can I assist you?” Someone explain, how could he? These student party workers also no? Huh! I mean they’re there everytime, all the time, stationed at the campus, during counseling, doing consulting…wonder why? After all there are no free lunches in this world! One whispered, ‘This way, we get to talk to all the beautiful girls.’ Yet another winks, ‘It’s fun, getting to know, talking, exchanging numbers and whose admission is at stake, we’re otherwise, least bothered!’ Oh my Gawd! How shrewd! Now, we know why these leaders are, the way they are. On the job training! Hey girls, give them a tough time when they come campaigning. Asking for votes and support and hell lot and what not! As for now, it’s bye-bye time. |
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Fresh ideas
Functional talk Nooran Garg,
First year student Hanging out
Cool coffee Umang,
BFA student
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Literally and officially, he holds a post as important and sensitive as our politicians. A Grade 1 officer, a celebrity or a daily-wage worker, irrespective of the designation, you dare not upset your jijaji. 
"My time is coming, you see," Udita said. "Just imagine, from one film in a year, I am rolling as many as five. It's good to be occupied and be doing some nice work," she said.
When was the last you spoke the word asharfiyan? While watching Arabian Nights or reading tales from the East? The unique world of antique! And no amount of connecting wrong dots will ever be able to hook up machine spare parts and old era coins. Satinder Pal Singh, a businessman, amateur coin collector, perhaps is that same dot. 
None of the performing or visual arts have influenced the social and cultural life of people like cinema, which is a powerful medium for social change. Simultaneously cinema itself has undergone many phases of turmoil due financial constraints and have resurrected from time to time. But it has retained the strong social activism than other arts despite alien influences of the western culture especially on youngsters. 
Dry look for damp days
If you must apply foundation, apply an astringent first, using cotton wool. After a few minutes, wrap an ice cube in a clean cloth and apply it on the skin, for a few seconds at a time. This also helps to close the pores. Go for a water-based foundation, adding a drop or two of water for a lighter coverage. Or, try cake foundations, or "pansticks", as they are also called, for a matte finish. They are solid and water must be added before application. Use a damp sponge to apply it. Then dust loose powder. It helps make-up last longer. Dust off the excess with cotton wool. The natural, matte look is actually "in." The aim is to project a sheer skin texture. 
It’s the start of the session, when freshers enter the college scene. Finally, freed from the ‘tyranny of uniform’ where even books need to be in uniform brown covers! We ask the new faces: what would make their first day a memorable experience? 
