|
|
|
|
|
Brief…encounter Shanti is reserved by nature. Her marriage fails after her husband gets to know that she is suffering from breast cancer. In the hospice, she participates in a cultural event by playing the character of Unikrishna in a play. “And, Unikrishna is unlike Shanti, she is sexually overt and an extrovert,” informs Suchitra Pillai, who plays Shanti. Mahesh Tawade is an endearing character, who plays the role of a right-wing activist, a sexually aggressive man in the farce. Satchit Puranik plays both these contrasting characters. Just like them, every character in the play, Brief Candle, directed by Lillete, plays a contrast in the farce. On a role Besides theatre of course, what’s keeping Lillete busy is a film by Sanjay Gupta, wherein she plays the lead role of a mother, “It’s a dark, disturbing movie, also featuring Bipasha Basu that will surely find entry to various film festivals.” Her short film, Bollywood Beats, is already doing rounds at various international film festivals. Suchitra Pillai, TV and film actor will now be seen as a pop singer. A trained south Indian classical singer, she will soon be coming up with her debut pop album. Mansi Parekh, who plays the role of a doctor is also hosting a reality show and will be seen in Kittu Ghosh’s movie. In fact, the play is a constant travel between the real and surreal, fact and farce, still it wouldn’t tire you. Rather, in between the end points, you will get to learn a lot, not from the philosophy but simple realities, ironically. The realities that are, “A reflection of life of cancer patients and how they are one of us, living with same dreams and aspirations,” Lillete says before putting forth the central idea of the play. “The play sets a contrast between people who are terminally ill and healthy in the hospital but who share the same emotions. Besides the umpteen contrasts, there are several parallels drawn intentionally. “The play is set in the backdrop of a hotel airport, where the characters get stuck due to a storm outside, which symbolises their journey of life and sufferings from cancer.” And, while these contrasts and parallels are drawn, something that would catch you attention is realism in those characters. Amar Talwar, a veteran TV actor, plays the role of a patient suffering from prostate cancer, for whom the only symbol of being macho is being virile. “But now, when he suffers from prostate cancer, his ego is hit and he goes around looking for viagra, the only option left,” says Amar about his role, which is so ‘human’. Even Joy Sengupta’s role of a person, who throughout his life fails to find his roots and has to shift his base very often, mirrors a contrast, “He eventually finds his roots in the hospice premises, where he comes after he suffers from cancer.” The challenge also was to sensitively portray the subject, for which research was undertaken. Zafar Karachiwala, who is the playwright of the farce, says “We met several cancer patients, visited the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital to see what all the patients go through. Here, we had no scope of projecting a surreal world.” The play has also been staged at the various cancer hospitals. And, Lillete feels that was very important, “Because we were not going to talk philosophy but present reality as it is, which has in its real emotions, pain, suffering, joys, happiness, and aspirations that are common to all, where a certain disease doesn’t make a difference.” It doesn’t for
sure. ashima@tribunemail.com |
|
Movie-ing ahead Indian entertainment industry has taken the world by storm. Bollywood is not merely an entertainment industry, it’s almost a religion and what enable these movies to reach the common men are the temples of cinema--the movie
theatres. Theaters are associated with dating, popcorn and expensive treats, but when it comes to Patiala, it’s about broken chairs, improper sitting arrangement and sweating. All theatres in Patiala are in a pitiable condition, except for Tagore Theatre that offers a little relief to the viewers. But, luxury is a distant dream for the moviegoers. The pitiable condition of the theatres forcing people to visit nearby cities like Chandigarh and Ludhiana to watch a good movie. They don’t ming travelling about 100 km just to see a movie because the think it is worth the effort. In Patiala, both Tagore and Mini Tagore are the only air-conditioned theatres and the authorities are taking full advantage of this. As they know that the movie buffs have no other good options, they generally sell tickets more than the capacity and then put extra chairs to accommodate those extra people. Amandeep Kamboj, a student of Punjabi University, Patiala, a regular visitor at Tagore Theatre, says, “Though this theatre is no match for the multiplexes but is better as compared to others in Patiala. At least, the hall is airconditioned and seats are comfortable. But no seat number and addition of extra chairs are big problems here. They don’t tell you that the theatre is full while you are purchasing tickets. It’s only when you enter inside you finds extra chairs laid out. I now go to Chanigarh on weekends to enjoy a film as I am sick of these theatres.” The second option for the residents is Phool Theatre, which is another disaster. The seats are stiff and old. Most of them are in a bad state and to top it all, the sound system is pathetic. One cannot even hear the dialogues clearly. Also, there are only fans in the theatres, which leave people sweating. “As soon as you enter the theatre you are welcomed by broken seats. I have visited Phool quite a number of times and have never able to understand the movie because the sound is not clear. Moreover, you often find rats in the hall,” says Amanpreet Singh from Thapar University. Next in the line is Malwa and Capital that hardly receive any viewers. The condition of these theatres is not even average and nobody really prefers to go there. Despite running big banner films like Dil Bole Hadippa, Capital has not been able to attract viewers, thanks to its infrastructure and mismanagement. Bikramjeet Singh from Government Bikram College is fond of watching Bollywood films. He says, “I often go to Chandigarh to see movies because the theatres here are hopeless. One watches a film for entertainment and fun but what is the point if you don’t get facilities despite spending money? I would not mind if they increase the ticket rates, but at least the facilities should be good.” |
|
Digits of disappointment Imagine or ignore. Putting pen to paper would mean putting finger to keyboard, reading between the lines, would entail reading between the rows on screen, flipping through the pages would require scrolling the mouse, all the Wordsworth, Bernard Shaw proverbs on books would apply to e-books. Relax, just extending the dots for digitalisation. While the Panjab University’s move to digitise rare books housed in AC Joshi Library to preserve them for the future is on all counts commendable, we ask students to stretch the scenario to If…every author, volume, series, paper, journal’s digitised, there would be no library! “To be honest, spare me the horror of imagining a world without libraries. This is where the action shifts during examinations and AC Joshi replaces Students Centre and photostat corner substitutes the fast food joints, the entire culture would shift,” winks Maninder Doda, hosteller from Boys Hostel No 4. Does that mean, no vacuum during sessions, no queues during examinations, no reading rooms, no barometer of who’s studying, who’s not, no sarcastic jokes about visiting or not visiting the building? He adds, “Imagine studying everything in electronic. Where there’s no wear and tear of pages. It must be saving paper, but that’s not my idea of being eco-friendly, there are so many other ways.” Call it imagination, idea or unfamiliarity with the idea. Agrees Samandeep Singh Tinna, a student of University Institute of Legal Studies, “The digitisation though indispensable and tech-savvy in every other way, takes the sheer romance away. Imagine reading the newspaper on cold, bland computer screen and not being able to hold it in hand with a cup of tea, fold the pages, crumple it. This and so many other things that we cannot even think of right now.” The worst part? How will we underline, doodle, rip off pages, wear and tear the books, prove that we’ve studied! All said and done, the move, ideated or idolised, commended or criticised, is not even a moot point; it aims at making the books available to researchers online. The books in very bad condition are being taken up for digitalisation first and the authorities have been converting it to e-resources to help researchers in future. So, there’s no going back, only no forgetting back. Indu Jain, MCA student, Sikkim Manipal University, sums up, “The effort is well intended and necessary. It spares so many hassles, finding the files, storing and retrieving. But this should be supplementary and not a substitute.” True. The yellow pages of research journal or nay other books that give the feel of antique just wouldn’t be there. Where’s the fun, when only a dateline separates one thing from the other. manpriya@tribunemail.com |
|
Students of IGNOU can now look forward to downloading their study course contents and get SMS alerts through mobiles. India's largest university will ink a pact with telecom major Ericsson to provide facilities supported by 3G Mobile services in Open and Distance education. "IGNOU University is open to latest technologies that can be used to reach maximum students. We specifically target rural students who cannot always have a one to one meeting with teachers to clear their doubts among other things," IGNOU Vice Chancellor V N Rajasekharan Pillai said. "A certificate course in IT, covering 5,000 students, will be held as the pilot project in which the 3G service will be utilised. Based on its success we will then chart out courses and contents," IGNOU VC K R Srivasthan, who conceived the idea, said. Under the programme, mobile service provider Ericsson, which has a network practically covering the entire north-east, will help in students access parts of the course web pages, download files like assignments and video clips. "The service will be available in any mobile handsets having a 3G service," Goton Achaibar, President and Country head of Ericsson India said in reply to a query. The 3G technologies help a learner stream through video, audio and selective Internet browsing. New notebooks with built-in 3G chip sets advanced e-learning services, which will allow consulting with academic counsellors, course co-ordinators, peer-to peer discussions etc., Srivasthan said. — PTI
|
|
Calling all the creatures of the night Theme parties? Heard that before but never mind, as long as the people are enjoying, the music is playing, it’s being lived and it’s being loved. The party meter was high at Black Magic - living up the late hours with theme party this Saturday. Weekend parties will never be the same again. “All you party freaks, make way for the wildest theme parties, leaving behind a fresh taste. Party lovers can enjoy the best at one place without having to visit a swank discs in metros,” says a representative of Can and Able event company as he talks of Eristoff Wolf Night that played to a packed house this Saturday. Theme parties are a gift to the Chandigarhians. “Music is in our soul, ’ says Dj Tantricks who played infectious tunes and breath taking sets at Eristoff Wolf Night. The High octave beats kept the energy level soaring high and higher. The guests truly lived up to the theme, as they took a shot and howled. It was a perfect place to unwind and party… Entertain and get entertained! The party turned out to be the clubbers paradise. — TNS
|
|
Maternal muse It’s mighty difficult to segregate ‘the mother’ from ‘the nature’ in Satwant Singh Sumail’s latest series Nature-The Mother, which is currently on display in Alliance Francaise de Chandigarh art gallery. His mothers, svelte women with the innocence of a newly born, blend well with the elements of the surroundings and thus become one with nature. This series is autumn inspired and thus falling leaves become an integral part of each frame. But for Satwant, fallen leaves are just the indicators for a new beginning. So, though blue and green dominate his canvas, it is only because they help capturing the vastness of the theme. His paintings impart a serene feeling. The bonding of his forms with nature and also with one another is almost spiritual. With textured layering technique, Satwant imparts depth and fluidity to his subject. A technique, which he has recently cultivated, and which he is utilising to do colour balancing. A transition is how Satwant describes his current mood of blending flora and fauna. Having done a body of work on nature for his previous exhibition, addition of the human element, came as on its own. “In this series, I am trying to capture the essence of nature, rather than presenting it as it is,” he says. The most interesting forms that keep re-appearing are fishes and sometimes octopuses and flowers. “Using fish as element brings a lot of movement as fishes are so ebullient,” he explains. And flowers are meant to bring serenity, which Satwant strives to capture. One can see this particular transitional phase has yielded some good 25 works, which are visually pleasing, aesthetically sound. “I am once again at the juncture which will take me to yet another phase,” Satwant tells us. What is about to come, he is not sure. All he can tell us now is that it will be an extension of the same series with some old elements and some new ones. .
On till November 7 |
|
All in the game Fortis Hospital-Mohali on Tuesday spread awareness on breast cancer in an innovative way — by using tambola to drive home the message of early detection of cancer, preventive measures, treatment possibilities and how to keep a positive attitude in life. As each number was called, a specially created message was also given – for example when number 16 was called, the line used was ‘Consult a doctor if a lump is seen, number 16’ or for number 10 it was ‘Avoid estrogen, Number 10’ and so on. At least 100 persons, mostly women of all age groups, who belonged to NGOs, healthcare, awareness groups and lecturers were part of the audience. Also present were ex-patients and survivors of Dr Rajeev Bedi. The guest of honor was Raka Ghira, DSP, Mohali. Tambola has always been the favourite of all people, especially women. Fortis distributed the list of one-liners along with the numbers among the audience so that they could also use them while playing tambola at kitty parties and other functions and spread the message of breast cancer awareness further. Number 25 focussed on this and the line read ‘Spread information, save a life: Number 25. The game also encouraged patients and their relatives to have a positive attitude as this would help them in fighting the disease. “Be positive, don’t blame your fate, number 28’ or ‘Join a support group, be happy too, Number 2’ drove home this point. Similarly, through tambola, the women were told that an abortion increases cancer risk (Stay away from abortion, No 7) and how to look out for warning signs (Change in size of nipple is a warning sign: No 39 or Discharge from a nipple needs a fix: Number 26). The message that cancer can attack anyone was put through ‘It can be anyone, you or me: Number 53’Fortis doctors also talked about how to prevent cancer, the risk factors, symptoms and the latest technologies available for treatment. |
|
The old problem of talent exodus may come to haunt companies once again when the economy recovers, if they do not take steps to attract top talent and retain employees now, a study says. According to a study by global online employment solution provider Monster.com, a dramatic difference exists in perception of employers and workers about the impact of current downturn and "may potentially lead to employers facing mass talent drains as the labour market begins to turn." The research report prepared in association with US think- tank Human Capital Institute (HCI) found employers are vastly overrating the morale of their employees with 84 per cent of surveyed indicating a belief that their workforce was content with simply having a job. In contrast, only 58 per cent of workers feel in the same way as their employers, the report stated. "While this environment has created a prime opportunity to acquire top talent and increase selective hiring, it is also a time for employers to prepare their workforces strategically for moving forward in a redefined, healthier economy," Monster.com Senior Vice-President and Chief Knowledge Officer Jesse Harriott said. — PTI
|
|
I TONE
Add one
Sarvan Singh Of course, yes
Manjeet Singh More the merrier
Monica Gimme me more
Anuradha Nigam |
|
Bakwaas
Bytes
Promise won’t giggle, girls? Ok, how about love in the library! Rows and columns of chairs, racks and counters of books, tomes and tones of notes. Are you thinking, what we’re thinking? Deep sigh. Very romantic, very retro. Don’t trust? Actually things happen, stories emerge, affairs bloom. All you got to do is take a round around of the central building pronounced by the name of Library. Library literally does what Students Centre can’t the entire session. Hear it out, “The entire thing actually works to your advantage, imagine when checking out someone is only a matter of lifting your eyes, giving hint involves something as easy as flipping the pages and things are as near as just a few chairs away,” someone murmurs the tricks of the trade, claims to be a master. We also heard, ‘That’s the only way I can meet my eye-candy that’s in the other department, we don’t have any common parking areas, canteen, or class.’ The only refuge! One even twinkled, ‘In Students Centre, what is the maximum time you can expect to share by just eyeing, checking out, moving about. In library, one can come in the evening, leave at night and do a lot.’ Guys, in between you can study also. Photostat shop, water-cooler, cafeteria, falling papers, forgetting books, several tricks, impossible not to get acquainted. Pick up the papers, put on the glasses, carry the pen. And all the best!
|
|
Chal mere bhai
Wearing collections of Sanjana John, the Bollywood fraternity walked the ramp for 'Save Girl Child' campaign during the ongoing Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WLIFW). Collections of the designer were inspired by the basics of Humanity-the family. As Indian culture thrives with the family values and the strength of love amongst siblings, the designer roped in some top celebrities that included actor Riya and Raima Sen, singer Shibani Kashyap, sarod players Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash, olympic Bronze medallist boxer Vijendra Singh and his brother, Miss Universe turned Bollywood actor Sushmita Sen and brother and actor Salman and Sohail Khan. It was indeed a star-studded affair. Sanjana described all the participating celebrities as 'one Indian family'. "The show was dedicated for 'Save Girl Child'. All these people have come for the same campaign. This is India and we all stand together as brothers and sisters. It's about unity. As Indians, we all stand together as brothers and sisters and there is the family," said Sanjana. Sanjana is sister of Indian designer Anand John convicted in US. She began her career with her brother Anand Jon, making her debut in the India Fashion Week. She had even participated in New York Fashion Week in 2005. This year 110 designers will showcase their collection with over 48 models displaying their creations.
— ANI |
|
Smile, please
Former Miss India Neha Dhupia, who flashed a million dollar smile while sashaying down the ramp Sunday at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) for designer Kavita Bhartia, wonders why models don't flash a smile during catwalk. "I have always wondered why models always walk the ramp with a straight face. Why don't they ever smile? Even during my modelling days, I used to wonder about it," Neha said after the show. "But then I guess, if beautiful models will start smiling, they will completely take the show away from the designer's clothes," she added. Dressed in a black ruffled dress teamed up with a bust jacket-like top with metallic gold embellishments on it, Neha delivered a perfect catwalk sans any extra drama on the stage. "I was very impressed with Kavita's collection and I was eyeing this gold jacket when I came in. I didn't know it was for me. I was really glad that she had planned that I will wear it," said Neha. The actress, who is awaiting the release of her film De Dana Dan, was not even a wee bit nervous before walking the ramp. "I was excited," she said. Talking about her movie, she said: De Dana Dan is an out and out comedy. It has a lot of people in it. The phrase - 'The more the merrier' perfectly suits it. But I hope people enjoy the film." Neha, who has been chosen by Hollywood actress-singer Jessica Simpson to be the Indian Beauty ambassador for her TV show "Price Of Beauty", has five films in the pipeline to be released within six months. It includes Raat Gayi Baat Gayi, Pappu Can't Dance Saala, Raftaar 24X7. She will also feature in Vipul Shah's Action Replay along with Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar. " Action Replay is expected to release next summer," she
said. — IANS |
|
Dressing the diva
Fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani says he will design outfits for his friend actress Shilpa Shetty's wedding trousseau and promises she will look "stunning". "I can't talk about the details of the outfits but I can tell you that she will look absolutely stunning," told Tahiliani on the sidelines of his show at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) here Saturday. The 34-year-old actress, who got engaged to London-based businessman Raj Kundra in Mumbai Saturday, wore an outfit by Bollywood's favourite designer Manish
Malhotra. However, she will be wearing Tarun Tahiliani's outfits for all other functions of the wedding. Asked about the number of outfits he will be designing for Shilpa, Tahiliani said: "I'll design everything!" The designer has earlier had Shilpa as his showstopper for two fashion events - but her appearance in a heavy lehenga choli at the HDIL India Couture Week last year is etched in many people's
mind. — 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 | |
Yes, we do need them. But not two, only one night food street will do. The one that we already have is the one at one corner of Chandigarh and thus inaccessible to so many. The other should ideally be at other location or some other end of the city, but it’s good if we have one more such place. 
Why not? We should have two more and at different parts of the city. This one is at one corner, whenever any outsider comes to the tricity, they generally don’t know or are not aware of the location between the university and the PGI. If they are at different places, it’ll be all the more better. 
There should be two night food streets, why not? We need more and more the merrier. It only means more options, more hang-out zones, more vibrancy. With just one food street, there can be no true blue culture in the city.
Yes of course, rather each sector should have one. If not each sector then at least every alternate sector should have a night food street. The idea being that that one shouldn’t have to go very far. So I support the plan being mulled.
