Africa is all set to burn with seven sins as MTV Roadies plan to unleash their mean streaks in its wilderness. VJ Bani and Varun tell us what to expect

Women are stronger than men, says Akhsay Kumar

Akshay Kumar maintains that women are stronger than men when it comes to mental strength and says he chose Twinkle as his life partner because she has the courage to “kick” people in the “butt”.

“I didn’t fall in love with my wife because she could dance around a tree. I fell for her strength as an independent woman. She kicked butt at school and she could do it now if she wanted. She is fearless to the outside world and I think it’s a great perception for women,” Akshay said in a telephonic interview from Italy where he is currently shooting for Sajid Khan’s Housefull.

Akshay is making a comeback on the small screen as the host of level two of the serial Khatron Ke Khiladi and reveals there were a number of instances during its shooting when he was simply dismayed with the way male participants performed stunts.

“In fact, I had to shout at the guys for some of their pathetic attempts. You should watch how many times men get rescued by their female partners on this show. On the other hand, women were much controlled in the situations they found themselves in.

“While men tend to believe that brute strength can get them everywhere, the fact is it was women who got them there in the end,” said the actor.

He feels that women’s mental strength also comes to play in physical activity - something which reflected in their performances when compared to men.

“I have said this quite a few times now that I believe women to be way stronger than men. It’s high time that our society gave them credit for this,” said Akshay when asked if one of the major reasons for doing Khatron Ke Khiladi was that he found it empowering for women to go ahead and face the challenges of life.

“If men were so brave, how come god made sure that it’s only women that give birth? We may be able to lift more bricks, but that’s about it. Level two is a perfect example of what I am getting at,” he added.

Akshay has been in the industry for close to a couple of decades now. Does he feel that women have evolved over a period of time when it comes to stunts?

“I genuinely think if we had proper schools for stunt training and facilities where men and women could train, not only would our heroines be as tough as us heroes but our country would be healthier and more experienced. Most Indians don’t know how to swim, though not due to any fault of their own but because they are not given the opportunity to learn,” he said.

Regarding the current bunch of actresses, Akshay says, “As for actresses nowadays, they have a much tougher role to play - they are not all sari- wearing beauties any more. They have more demanding roles.”

He indicates that audiences should not expect him to hog the limelight as an action hero on the show.

“If you want to see me in action, then watch my movies. That’s because Khatron Ke Khiladi is about the ‘power of our sexes’ and not about checking out what is Akshay Kumar up to this time. My stunts are just a bonus and a little treat for my fans,” he said. —IANS

Parekh honoured with Lachchu Mahraj award

Noted film personality Asha Parekh has been honoured with ‘Lachchu Mahraj Puraskar’ for her contribution in the field of dance and acting. Parekh was presented a memento and a cash reward of Rs 51,000 by Himachal Pradesh Governor, Prabha Rau during a ceremony.

“I am a Gujrati but I was born in Maharashtra. My connection with Lucknow stands for the fact that when I started learning dance, the first dance that I learnt was the Kathak of Lucknow Gharana and 25 years back I was invited to perform at the Ravindralaya,” said the actor.

Several eminent personalities, including film star Rekha, Sitara Devi and Birju Mahraj have received the award in the past.

Known for her films in Love in Tokyo and Teesri Manzil, the 66-year-old actor said that Kathak is a beautiful dance and it should not be allowed to die.

Also present on the occasion was well known Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff. —PTI

Nationalism is my religion, says Salman Khan

Bollywood actor Salman Khan showed his patriotic side Wednesday when he encouraged Delhiites to unite and work towards the betterment of the country.

“I am an Indian. Nationalism is my religion. We want responsible citizens who think about India first,” said Salman.

“We should unite and do everything for the betterment of our country,” added the actor who has three releases lined up. He will be first seen in Wanted, followed by Main Aur Mrs. Khanna and London Dreams.

India First campaign has also garnered support from noted personalities like Baichung Bhutia, Priyanka Chopra, Shahid Kapoor, Suniel Shetty and many more in the past.

—IANS

Bollywood has no place for foreign actors

Actor Florence Brudenell-Bruce, who played Saif Ali Khan’s Swiss girlfriend in Love Aaj Kal, has accused Bollywood of having no place for blonde beauties.

The 24-year-old model-turned actor and former girlfriend of Formula One racer Jenson Button, said that though she had the time of her life shooting for the Imtiaz Ali directed movie but believes it is unlikely that she will get chance to appear in other Indian movies.

Brudenell Bruce played Khan’s love interest and appeared in hit song Twist said, “I would really like to do another Bollywood film, but unfortunately, I have blonde hair and fair skin and there aren’t that many parts out there for people who look like that.” The actor now wants to do a “big Hollywood period drama” with Australian superstar Russell Crowe. —PTI 

These four finalists of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs are the perfect example of good things coming in small packets 

Antara has her own band at the age of 10. Yatharth, 12, is as much of a classical devotee as he is a guitarist. Prateeksha is a tabla player, kathak dancer with classical music as her forte. She is 10. And, here’s the littlest and most talented of them all. Swarit, the eight- year-old-wonder kid can pick up musical notes on any songs. Meet the L’il Wonders of Hero Honda Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs. Ruling the charts and hearts of television audience, these child prodigies gear up for the finals of the Sa Re Ga Ma PA L’il champs.  

They may be small, but not in terms of talent. Performing in front of some of the biggest names in the industry seem to be a piece of cake for them. “Not exactly. But we have learnt a lot from the show,” Yatharth replies like a true professional. Participated in many road shows and coming to Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, he is happy to make it as a finalist. As for the Assamese sensation Antara, it’s like continuing with her toppers streak. “I have a band of four people and I am the lead vocalist. We also compose our own songs,” she says. See, we told you, no short of talent.

The other two finalists are Prateeksha from Lucknow, whose wild card entry gave her a second chance at the top spot. Proving her mettle as the only wild card entrant who has survived till date, Prateeksha is Alka Yagnik’s nightingale. “She told me that I have the sweetest voice on the show,” she tells us with a smile as big as her dreams.

Now, he is the chota nawab of the show. Abhijit is smitten by his magical power. Swarit Shukl might be a chota packet but with bada dhamaka. Giving some powerful performances on the show, the young singer who is glued to his I-pod, has become the hot favorite to win the title. But ask him about his chances and he humbly says, “Everybody is good on the show. But it will feel good if I win.” Ask them who is their favorite judge, and they are not diplomatic. The girls vote for Alka Yagnik and the boys love Abhijit Da. Hmmm…battle will end only when the results are announced.

Coffee Day Xpress, a retail chain of convenience food and beverage, has introduced a new range of soups across all Coffee Day Xpress kiosks in the country. This new range of soups have been created after carrying out detailed research among customers on their likes and preferences.

 The new range of soups is filled with the goodness of vegetables -- high in iron and protein - specially created for the health conscious traveller on the move. The range include Spinach Spell (wholesome soup with spinach and bits of vegetables), Hot N Sour (tantalising hot ann sour with cooked vegetables) and Masala Spin (spicy taste of Indian masala with roasted noodles). Soups that can be eaten to satisfy the small hunger pangs in-between meals. — TNS

Mushrooming of art groups and announcing their arrival with an exhbitrion is not a new trend. So, even this particular one by newly-formed group Bunch would have gone unnoticed had it not been for Sanjeev Kumar’s two collages. For one thing it showed the young artist’s expersite in handling paper cuts to evoke human emotions and second, it’s been after a long, long time one got to see collages on display, that too in its true blue original form.

By original form, one refers to its definition which says a collage, which originated from the French word coller (to glue), is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new one. This term was coined by Pablo Picasso and George Braque in the beginning of the 20th century when collage became the part of modern art.

However, it is not a hidden fact that many, in the art fraternity, look down upon collage making as a ‘low’ art and what now one gets to see in the name of collage is some art works in mixed media, using paint, objects like ribbons, clothes, paper or anything that catches the creator’s fancy. And if you ask why this art form has come down to this state, the answer that comes to mind is – collage does not sell. So, Sanjeev’s endeavour to bring back our focus on this genre certainly calls for a story.

The city is not totally devoid of collage artists though. The one name that immediately comes to mind is Mahinder Tulli, who started making collages when he was 19. He is 66 years now and still continuting with this, which has yielded hundres of collages, includiong quite a few on 3D objects like table, chair and dustbins. Tulli has an interesting story to tell. “It started out of my passion to create something out of waste. So the hunt began to collect waster materials first and when one day I got an ultimatum from my mother to either get creative with whatever I had collected or throw them out of the storeroom, I got started with making creative images from the waste papers and magazines on three dimensional objects.”

Tulli had enough knowledge about graphics to go ahead with his mission. And when his first exhibition showcased some of his works in 1967, he got rave reveiws from the like of B.N Goswami and M.S Randhawa. And that got him going till date. “I don’t know what I am doing or claim to have understood this medium, I simply love assemmbling images,” he says.
Another artist who gave the art of collage making a new height is Viren Tanwar, first by organising a workshop for his students at the Government College of Art in 1986 and later by holding an exhibition in 1993 which was called Rango ki Yatra that depicted life through the spectrum of colour. “I did the workshop because by making a collage one gets to learn about compositions,” he says.

D.S Kapoor who worked extensively in this medium for Haryana Industries magazine Udyug Yug, says it is a unique medium. He attributes its declining populairty among the younger artists not because of its inferiority as a medium, but the lack of their composition sense.

“True, a medium is not important, it depends on an artist how far he takes his art. In the true sense of the word, Nek Chand’s Rock garden too is a collage. Satish Gujral’s collages are as valued as his paintings. If one disadvatange that the collage faces is the longitivity of the material used in one. As paper cuts may get discoloured fast, one hesitates before buying a collage,” says Viren.

But then, when there is a will, there are hundreds of ways. One can perhaps take the inspiration from artists like Rena Saini Kallat, whose collage made of rubber stumps, created quite an impact amoing the visitors at the recently-concluded India Art Summit.

parbina@tribunemail.com

Sharang Sharma may have ventured out of a classical background to enbrace rock music, but he still draws inspiration from his music director father Atul Sharma

Indian music with its sublime character and aesthetic appeal has been the dynamic and a progressively living artistic phenomenon enrapturing the music lovers over the world,” feels upcoming Rock singer Sharang Sharma. “But as any music tradition or performing artistes are vulnerable to the influences of other music traditions, I too opted for Rock music. Initially it sounded a bit different for those who knew that my three generations were deeply devoted to the Indian classical music,” says Sharang.

Born and raised in the musical environment where his grandmother, father and mother, all gifted and qualified maestros in the realm, he imbibed the rudiments of music at an early age without a systemic learning but was lauded as the child prodigy in the music circle. As a student artiste he participated in numerous music competitions and won laurels for DAV School-15 before repeating his tradition of musical excellence at the Government College and that too in the genre of Rock. Undeniably the youngest but leading rock band of the region his ensemble “Harmonica Friction” is comprising of most accomplished and dedicated musicians.

Sharing about his kind of music, formation, achievements and his future endeavors, elaborates Sharang, “As a student, I coined the idea of forming the rock band with my friends. Like them, I was inspired by legendary singers like John Mayer, Don Maclean and Steven Wilson. Driven by an urge to do something different, I penned the lyrics myself, pregnant with emotions close to Indian milieu and we composed music as a blend of western virtuosity with Indian emotional sensibilities. It clicked well and we ventured to perform at the PECFEST-2006 but failed to reach the finals. But we made it as the King of Rock in 2008 at the same PECFEST and later at Chitkara University amidst grand applause and adulations. My own lyrics All Over Again and Let’s Pretend made the difference. Encouraged by success, we took the band to many competitions and concerts at metros and leading venues,” he says.

“What makes us score batter is that our band sounds like an amalgamation of different genres of music, but in order to make it easy to classify we may call it alternative rock. We, the group members, Atul Gupta, the drummer, Antriksh Bansal on bass guitar and Saurabh Dhir, the lead guitarist, think in unison and remain in perfect sync during stage performances,” he adds.

On the Rock scene in Chandigarh, Sharang says, “It has yet to catch up with other metros, but we are fortunate to have some brilliant artistes in the city. On future plans he says that want to get into music production and try and develop a level of music that is parallel to what we hear from international acts. “Besides that I want to carry on writing my own music and hopefully, one day, I will be able to reach out to a lot of different people with my music,” he says.

My own music is more based on the acoustic guitar, and I try and incorporate whatever I learn from my father and other artists.

Credited with the music direction of over 5000 Punjabi music albums and over two dozen films during his successful career span of 26 years, the proud father Atul Sharma, says, “I have never interfered in the natural growth of Sharang as a rock vocalist. He has imbibed the family inheritance of my poet father and my music potential. We are shortly bringing out a ghazal geet album on my papa’s poetry, composed by me and sung by all of us. The title, well it can’t be more appropriate than Family affair,” sums Atul.