For actor Navneet Nishan ‘there is always a tomorrow’. “Memories are a good filler when you have nothing better to do. Sometimes, they leave behind a curve on your face and sometimes they come with a flush of salty water. But, I choose to live in the moment,” she asserts.

And the moment has lots to offer. My Name Is Khan defines it. In city, shooting for Manmohan Singh’s Ik Kudi Punjab Di, Navneet says it was a lifetime experience working in the soon-to-be released flick. “It was a kind of reunion working with Shah Rukh Khan after almost 20 years. He is a fabulous actor and a good human being as well, which makes working with him and the entire unit fun.”

Back on the home turf, Punjabi cinema and its limitations? “I agree that there aren’t any experimental or serious roles for actors in Punjabi cinema,” says Navneet, still recalled as the Tara who lit up the Zee screen a decade ago.

“All the same, Punjabi cinema is not to be blamed for this. We have a target audience and I don’t think the NRI Punjabi audience sitting abroad would want to watch heavy-duty stuff. Anything nice and popular goes down well,” she smiles.

However, as of now one thing that doesn’t go down well with Navneet is the scene with the television. “I think TV is going through its worst phase. As much as we thought, we are getting over the saas bahu rona dhona. But now we have another new angle ‘the portrayal of rural life’ in some strange and unacceptable ways.”

Navneet was also offered a role of a woman who kills a newborn girl child. (No prizes for guessing the name of the serial!). “I found the theme totally redundant and disappointing. When I did Tara almost 10-15 years back, TV was in a much better state. We had realistic dialogues and conversations, unlike what we have today,” adds the actor who has worked in hits like Raja Hindustani, Tum Bin, Raat Gayi Baat Gayi.

And for those of you who don’t know, Navneet Nishan derives her inspiration and creative satisfaction from theatre. She is a painter, costume designer and an amazing cook. “I have spent a good 20 years in the industry wherein I have sometimes worked for sustenance, creative satisfaction and sometimes visibility. However, the actor is me is still on the move and it refuses to sit down,” she signs off. Aman Dhaliwal prefers to be a part of Punjabi cinema because of its regional touch and professionalism. “Bollywood gives better visibility though.”

A nostalgic trip down the corridors of your college and university is something we would all love to indulge in, pretty willingly. Punjabi singer Jazzy B doesn’t mind doing the same!

“I miss my college days in Canada. It was great fun hanging out with friends; attending classes half-heartedly, jam in sessions outside an eating joint etc. I like to catch up with old college friends because they remind me of the good times,” shares Jazzy B, in city to perform at the ‘Jalsa Youth Festival 2010’ on Thursday night. “I like to perform for a young and vibrant audience. I haven’t thought of what I will be singing, but yes, songs from my previous albums Romeo and Rambo for sure.”

Fate plays with us like buckets at the well. Where one is filled, and one an empty shell. Where one is rising, while another falls and shows how life is change — now heaven, now hell.

The essence of life is frozen poignantly in these lines from the Sanskrit play Mricchakatika. Herein, says versatile theatre director and actor Harish Bhatia, lies the beauty of Sanskrit theatre that is vibrant and at the same time epitomises the deeper philosophy of life.

Way back in 1983, when he had a choice between doing Shakespeare's Macbeth and Shudraka's Mricchakatika he chose the latter, and had the audience captivated for almost four hours with its Hindi translation Mitti ki Gaadi by Mohan Rakesh.

Can we expect today's audiences to have that kind of patience? Or time? More pertinently, will the audiences be interested in Sanskrit dramas of yore, tales of kings and queens? "Why not?" says eminent litterateur and theatre person Virendra Mehndiratta. He asserts, "Let us not forget that these are the stories with universal values." So the predicament of Shankuntala, he feels, could apply to any adolescent girl. Besides, he adds, many of Sanskrit theatre's basic requirements like complete absence of stage sets are suited to modern day theatre and have been increasingly used by directors such as Dev Raj Ankur and Habib Tanvir. Says Mehndiratta, "In essence, Sanskrit theatre was and is an actor's theatre." Interestingly, Sanskrit theatre tradition not only categorises 10 types of plays but also differentiates between different kinds of heroes. Adherence to strict format, development of the play in a particular fashion and the presence of vidhushak (jester) are some of its salient features.

And guess what, plays invariably end on All's well that ends well note with the hero ultimately attaining the object of his desire. A Sanskrit play, as a rule, is never a tragedy.

Well-known poet and theatre person Atul Vir Arora, who directed Bhagwad Ajukam, opines, "Indeed, certain things were forbidden in Sanskrit plays like depiction of death, yet there have been exceptions. For instance, Bhasa's Urubhangam does show the death of Duryodhana".

So can plays with rigid and structured story lines be contemporised? "Certainly," argues Bhatia who intends to reinvent Mricchakatika soon. He has done it in Punjabi as well. Besides, it has been adapted on a larger than life screen as the film Utsav, which of course failed to strike a chord with Indian audiences.

Asserts Mehndiratta, "Unconsciously perhaps, cinema seems to have been inspired by Sanskrit theatre tradition of ending on a sukhant note". The happy ending format, he feels, in no way robs theatre of its inherent quality. He adds, "Take Mricchakatika. This is a play that reflects the reality of life and mirrors all its shades. Yet as it climaxes on a happy note, audiences leave satisfied." In short, any art that gives a message of hope becomes inspirational.

Bhatia goes a step further and calls it sublime experience, "Only Sanskrit theatre invokes the spiritual through sensual, which not to be confused with carnal though".

But is this sense of divine somewhere linear in its narration? Questions Bhatia, "How can a plot dittoing the eastern philosophy of cyclical plots, reinforcing the essence of equilibrium and equipoise and emphasising that two opposites have to be balanced be uni-dimensional?'

Mehndiratta is adamant that no other play, certainly not the directors' plays of today stands a chance when compared to this rich tradition that offered a complete psychological analysis of human behaviour and character.

Says Arora, "Not only modern Indian theatre, but the entire Asian theatre and even Bertolt Brecht have been influenced by Sanskrit tradition".

However, he sees no point in totally imitating Sanskrit plays. "There is need to re-look and reinvent the tradition. Many theatre persons like Rattan Thiyyam, Kumar Varma, Habib Tanvir and BV Karnath have done it already and very effectively."

In particular, he points out the late Karanth's Malavikaagnimitram staged in Bundelkhandi in which Karanth used not one but two vidushaks to drive home the duel between conscious and subconscious.

Without doubt, then, while on one hand Sanskrit plays can be reinvented any number of times on the other, the dramaturgy of Sanskrit theatre and many of its elements like sutradhar, use of body as a tool will continue to shape modern day theatre. Arora sums up, "Whether audiences perceive it or not, this theatre that tells — you become a form — will always be the base of Indian theatre." Mother of Indian theatre or total theatre, it will continue to inspire generations! 

In a bid to popularise Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s literary works, the West Bengal government has launched a new Rabindra Rachanabali website which contains poems, songs, novels and short stories, essays and verses written by the author.

The website — www.rabindra-rachanabali.nltr.org — will help a large number of people get access to Tagore’s literary works, state IT Minister Debesh Das said.

It will also facilitate students and academicians to carry out research activities on the nobel laureate, as it will have a powerful search engine that will help find other important references on Tagore online.

The Rabindra Rachanabali website was launched with an initiative taken up by the Society for Natural Language Research (SNLR), which was formed to promote Bengali literature on the internet in the age of IT communication. The research board has also taken up an initiative to design a Bengali operating system.

SNLR vice president Pabitra Sarkar said the research body, under the aegis of the state IT department, would also design similar websites for other Bengali literary figures in future. — IANS

Call it a raaz pichhle janam ka. Though born and brought up at Semey city of Kazakhstan, scores of miles away from Chandigarh, I find myself more related to Indian civilization, especially the performing art,” says Buranbayeva Kmilla, who celebrated her twentieth birthday last week at the Pracheen Kala Kendra where she is undergoing an advanced training in kathak under a two-year ICCR scholarship from guru Shobha Koser.

“As a child, like many classmates, I loved to dance on the songs filmed on Mithun Chakrabarty like Zubi Zubi and more. After legendary Raj Kapoor and Mithun, now the youngsters are mad after Shahrukh Khan besides other Indian films, TV programmes on social themes but there are also many who are serious about Indian classical music and dance,” she says.

“We have many Russian teachers trained at Kala Kshetra and other Indian institutes who run teaching centres there. Both the teacher and taught evince full interest in the leaning process,” she adds. She secured a degree from Low University and side- by-side participated in operas like Labediovoe Ozero, Shelkuas, Karmein and Adadjio and learnt bharatnatyam for two years while studying in Kazathastan. However, she wanted to train under a ‘perfect’ guru and in the soil of its origin. “By perfect I mean the parental touch of sympathy, affection and love in situations when I needed my own parents to be with me. Indeed I feet the presence of my mother Zhanvil Khan Nurgalikeya in her.

But nevertheless she is a hard task master exhorting always for a strenuous riyaz, attempt innovation within the stipulated tradition and extract or emulate the best natyaang from other traditions. With her kind patronage, I am investing my best efforts to imbibe the nuances of Indian heritage,” she says.

Indian classical dance compositions, according to Kmilla, are woven around the lives of deities and mythological gods, making it imperative for a dancer to know about the divinity so as to bring alive the emotive feel in her dances. “I am in the process of completing my training and propagate the grandeur of Indian dances in Kazakhstan, which is a neat and clean like your City Beautiful,” she signs off. 

A portrait once believed to have been painted by Leonardo da Vinci sold for more than $1.5 million in New York on Thursday, around treble the top price estimated ahead of the auction. A source from Sotheby's says another version of the portrait, "La Belle Ferronniere", is in the Louvre in Paris and it is that painting that is now generally agreed to have been by da Vinci himself or one of his pupils, while the painting sold in New York was a later copy. The painting is thought to be of Lucrezia Crivelli who was a mistress of Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan, and was painted sometime before 1750 by a follower of the Renaissance master.

But for more than 80 years the identity of the artist was in dispute and the controversial work was the subject of a slander trial in the 1920s, as well as two books.

"The story of "La Belle Ferronniere" is as much about the aesthetic and scientific foundations of modern art history as it is about the authenticity of the painting itself," Sotheby's said in a catalogue note.

Sotheby's said on its website that the painting, artist unknown, sold revently for $1.538 million, compared to pre-auction estimates of $300,000-$500,000. It did not give details of the buyer.

"La Belle Ferronniere" was brought to the United States in 1920 by newlyweds Harry Kahn, an American serviceman during World War One, and his French wife, Andree, who received the painting in 1920 as a wedding gift from her grandmother.

It was thought to be have been painted by da Vinci and authenticated by a French art expert.

But when Kahn later tried to sell it to the Kansas City Art Institute in the United States for $250,000, Joseph Duveen, a leading art dealer in London, told a reporter who questioned him about the sale that he was sure it was a fake.

This sparked a decade long legal battle that brought into question Duveen but also the very foundations of connoisseurship, according to Sotheby's. The deal fell through and Kahn's wife sued Duveen for slander, claiming he was trying to control the art market. The case riveted the art world. — Reuters

Give me some sunshine, give me some rain, give me another chance, I want to grow up once again… this is what ‘Jalsa Youth Festival 2010’ is all about.

The festival brings together students from as many as 75 colleges from Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, and affords them an opportunity to get in touch with their creativity.

A four-day event that took off on Thursday at the Parade Ground would see the students bask in the sun, meet up with friends, share notes on fashion, hang around in bunches, sing and dance with performers and create something different through the various competitions.

Day one of Jalsa, saw rangoli, mehndi, modern art and choreography competitions. Surprisingly, in addition to the activities, two things ruled the roost - style and the hangover of 3 Idiots!

Every second student is a style guru. Sunshades, glares, sweat-shirts, striped and colourful tights, gelled, spiked, ruffled, neatly pressed, careless hair dos…what else do you expect from an amalgamation of almost 75 colleges at one venue!

The next big thing, of course, was the analysis and close relation students thought they shared with the flick. Manvi Bains, a student of Home Science and her friends opine that events like Jalsa help students come out of the classrooms and discover themselves. “3 Idiots did one helluva job”.

It is our story, story of every student,” she says with conviction. “Besides, we get to know and share information with students from other colleges as well.”

Khayali, Jazzy B and Harbhajan Mann will add glitz and excitement to the show in the coming days. And this is in addition to the performance by a rock band, fashion show, debate, acting competitions, to name a few.

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. announced on Thursday that the Maxximo would now be available at Rs 2.78 lakh (ex-showroom Chandigarh). The first product to roll out from Mahindra’s state-of-the-art Chakan plant, the Maxximo was recently unveiled at the 10th Auto Expo 2010 held in New Delhi. The world’s first mini-truck to be powered by a 2-cylinder CRDe engine with DOHC technology and 4 valves per cylinder, the Maxximo scores highly over its nearest competitors in terms of technology, style, safety and comfort.  

 “The Maxximo is the world’s first mini-truck with C2 CRDe technology that offers an unbeatable value proposition at an attractive price of Rs 2.78 lakh (ex showroom - Chandigarh). The Maxximo is also available with free maintenance for one year / 40,000 km – a first for the segment,” offers Rajesh Jejurikar, chief of operations, automotive sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

The Maxximo is the world’s first mini-truck to feature a 2-cylinder CRDe engine with DOHC technology and 4 valves per cylinder, as compared to the old technology IDI engine with 2 valves per cylinder, which is currently in use in the market. The CRDe engine offers a class leading 25 HP of power and 5.5 Kgm torque, as against 16 HP and 3.8 Kgm torque offered by the Maxximo’s nearest competitor. This ensures superior pick-up, acceleration and gradeability, allowing the Maxximo to carry heavy loads even up the steepest of slopes. The Maxximo is also the safest vehicle in its class. —TNS

When India’s most premium B-school, IIPM and India’s most read business and marketing magazine, 4Ps get together with India’s most sought after superstar, Shahrukh Khan - what you get is the most rocking three hours of live and electrifying event that any audience has ever witnessed! And such was the case with ‘Dare’09’ an event conceptualised and hosted by IIPM at their international Campus in New Delhi. ‘Dare’10’ is only getting bigger and is hitting ‘Bangalore with a Bang’ on February 8, 2010. The stage is set this time at the ‘Koramangla Indoor Stadium’ with a 3000 seating capacity and needless to say - without a single formal announcement made so far, there are few seats to spare in the stadium.

Needless to say, first of it’s kind  - this business and marketing quiz urges participants to not just bank on their knowledge and information about brands and marketing concepts but also their presence of mind, communication skills and self-confidence. After all they are being quizzed by none other than the master quiz-master – King Khan – Shahrukh Khan.  While SRK hosts the grand finale, the 6 teams (12 participants) who reach the finals have been through a grueling 4 competitions before the finals over a period of a fortnight.  Around 110 B-schools are participating in 4 zonal rounds that are held simultaneously across India, 26 B-schools then make it to the National round and from their 10 Indian B-schools reach the international round where 6 International B-schools are waiting to compete with them. Some of the International colleges participating are London Business School, Booth School of Business - University of Chicago, Kenan Flagler – University of North Carolina, Indiana University – Kelly school of Business etc.Out of these 8 B-schools graduate to the semi-finals and finally 6 winning teams from the Semi-finals are handed over to SRK. —TNS