Cleaning up a dozen households, doing laundry and learning classical dance doesn’t exactly fit in together…right? Are the hands that wash utensils all day long pretty enough to showcase the 52 mudras of bharatnatyam with graceful perfection?

Well, working as a maid and aspiring to be a classical danseuse may be alien to each other, but a group of 10 girls from the city slums sure know how to accept their reality and respect their dreams. If life is all about changes, then their change came with bharatnatyam!

Dressed in their best clothes, hair tied in a neat plait; these girls never miss their class at the Bhavan Vidyalaya’s Kala Layam Dance Institute at Panchkula. “After a day’s work, dance is the only thing exciting in our life. First we enjoyed it, now it has become a passion,” says Gudiya, who works at a maid. She has been learning the dance form along with others for past one year now.

And if you thought it’s just a ‘come-dance-and- go-back routine, their dedication will surprise you. “It is not a dance form for us, it’s our prayer. We follow a disciplined routine with guru vandana, prayers to Lord Vishnu, recitation of shlokas and then sadhna,” explains Renu, another girl in the lot.

They might not be well educated, but they definitely are eager to learn. “When I first came up with the idea of teaching them bharatnatyam, nobody agreed, right from school authorities to these girls’ parents. In fact, one girl, Ram Saheli’s mother even burnt her hand so that she would not be able to attend classes. It was a tough time convincing them that dance will not ruin the girls, but help them come out of their suppressed lives,” says Rahul, their teacher and mentor.

Another tough task was to teach them the basic things first, like how to stand and strike a posture. “I had to groom them in shistachar and nazakat, which is essential for the dance form. Asking them to dress up nicely, take a stance and improving their postures; everything needed attention,” adds Rahul.

It is not only the joy of dancing and looking pretty that makes these girls happy; it’s the hope of changing their lives. “Our practice sessions were not just about dance but overall grooming. Dancing along with other children from the school, we learnt English and facts from our cultural history like the Devdasi parampara. We also learnt table manners and public speaking skills from Rahul Sir,” shares Gudiya.

From a neglected lot forced into child labour, these girls are now confident dancers, focused on changing their lives through the classical dance form. “I want to pursue bharatnatyam as my profession and help my siblings as well as others like me change their lives,” says Babli. The others nod in agreement.

And they are working on it full time. “We are planning to hold a show where they will perform in front of a large audience by the end of this year. Hope everything goes as planned,” says Rahul.

Well, the big, kohled eyes with big dreams are shining and the determined yet innocent smile tells us that change is round the corner!

nehawalia@tribunemail.com

For Punjabi singer Dolly Singh (of Batiyaan bujaayi rakhde diva balley sari raat fame) it was a question of pick and choose — family or passion. “Family will always be my first priority,” she puts it in plain and simple terms. We guessed so.

For a woman in Punjab, to select a career and work towards it is one thing, but to sustain it is another, which only a few manage. But for Dolly it was a matter of prioritising. Releasing her album, Dream at the Chandigarh Press Club on Wednesday, this mother of two lovely girls has no regret in life. “Everything happens at a fixed time in life. I was destined to leave singing for my family, but I am back to it again because it had to happen,” she says.

When in Punjab singers are growing at the rate of one per month, ‘out of sight out of mind’ factor does not bother Dolly. “If you have the talent, then time is not a constraint. As I said, family kept me busy for almost five years. I was at the peak of my career when I decided to give it a break. Now, I think I am ready for a new innings in my life. Besides, I am confident that people will like my work. Now that I am back, everybody would know about it,” she takes on one query after the other.

Other than family taking most of her time, Dolly seems interested in taking questions based solely on her album, Dream. “It is a wholesome entertainment album, which has sad, foot-tapping, suhaag and remix numbers as well. Dream released under the banner of Catrack Music has a total of nine songs,” she says as she breaks into one of the songs from her album.

Who says time can sap your talent? “I still follow a strict ‘riyaaz’ session of 2-3 hours daily. I want to give my best to my passion now.” Her take on reality shows. “I wish there was something like this during our time as well. For kids who look forward to a career in singing, music-based reality shows are a good platform,” feels Dolly who plans to do playback in Punjabi movies as well.

In the middle of the interview a question on less number of women singers in Punjab leaves Dolly without an answer. Pause. “Family, money…women have to take into account so many things. Pursuing a career is not the only thing.” And they say women will benefit from the reservation bill! A bill on ‘pursual of dreams’ is what is needed more!  

jasmine@tribunemail.com       

Mexican beauty Barbara Mori, who is paired opposite Hrithik Roshan in Kites, has been turning heads since the official teaser of the film came out but director Anurag Basu says the actor was not hired for her sex appeal.

Hrithik has often been equated to a Greek God by Bollywood followers and his chemistry with Mori has been a talking point. The actor's lip locking moments with Mori even led to rumours that his marriage with Suzzanne was in trouble.However, film maker Anurag Basu insists that Kites is much more than just a skin fest. "Of course, Barbara is attractive; we all know that. Still, it wasn't just her sex appeal that made us sign her. She has done so much good work in films as well as on TV. I saw them and based on that, we decided that Barbara would be the right fit for Kites," said Basu.

The director is aware that Mori is one of the top searched celebrities on Internet today, at least in India, and audience expectation is pretty high from the young woman who is also a mother of a grown up kid in real life. "Yes, people do search for her pictures on Internet. However, as a director I can vouch for the fact that she surprised when we were shooting the film. She has quite a few dramatic scenes in the film and I was wondering if she would be able to pull then off. But I was taken by surprise by her acting," Basu added.

The director says he was so impressed with Mori's performance that he started rethinking about some of the scenes that he had originally written. Basu decided to sizzle up the act by rewriting a few scenes and adding a different perspective to them. "Really, I was blown over by the chemistry between Barbara and Hrithik. Some of the very scenes that originally looked great to me were seemingly fake once I saw the two on screen. I had to throw these scenes away and improvise at the last moment. Call it ironical but some of the best scenes in the film are those which were written at the very end. Hrithik and Barbara really look so real and good together."

Basu, who worked for close to three years on the film, says shooting for the movie was a "great experience" but he avoided getting carried off." Rather than feeling overtly elated, I used to tell myself right through the making of Kites to not get carried away. I had great locales, the best art direction and the stars. I could shoot in as opulent manner as possible but I knew that I didn't have to go away from the soul and character of the film. It happens so many times that due to the aspects as mentioned, a director gets greedy."

Also, starring Kangna Ranaut in a special appearance along with Kabir Bedi, 'Kites' has music by Rajesh Roshan and releases all over this Friday. —PTI 

Liam Hemsworth has come to the defence of girlfriend Miley Cyrus over a saucy video, insisting that she "has a good head on her shoulders".The teenage sensation, who shot to fame with her role in Disney's Hannah Montana series, was seen in a raunchy video, showing her dirty dancing with a movie producer. Miley has been dating the Australian actor since they met on the set of their film The Last Song. And last week, a video from the movie's wrap party sparked controversy, with footage of Cyrus showing her grinding up against a 44-year-old producer on the dance floor.

However, Hemsworth has insisted that his girlfriend shouldn't let the media storm bother her, because the criticism is all part of being a star. "Everyone gets criticism, it's kind of what comes with this job... everybody's trying to bring you down. She's got a good head on her shoulders. She's a great girl," he said. — ANI 

Actor Anne Hathaway has made no claim over the gifts she received from her ex-boyfriend/scam-artist Raffaello Follieri. The stunner, 27, had until February to file a petition asserting ownership of her gifts from con man Follieri, but neither she nor any other "third parties" have staked a claim, prosecutors claimed.

In August 20008, the actor coughed up a dozen luxury items after Follieri was busted on charges of ripping off some 13 million dollars from investors.

The items include two Rolex watches, a pair of silver-colored earrings with "blue and clear stones," a silver-colored chain with a cross pendant, two gold-colored rings, a five-strand pearl necklace and a Louis Vuitton box.

The goods will soon be auctioned off to repay Follieri's victims, including supermarket magnate and Bill Clinton pal Ron Burkle. Prosecutors are waiting for a final forfeiture order to take official ownership of Hathaway's former accessories.

Manhattan federal Judge John Koeltl said he would issue a final forfeiture order if no objections are filed by May 26. — ANI

Former Spice Girl Melanie Brown joined ex-partner actor Eddie Murphy for the US premiere of his animated film Shrek. The couple split a few months before the birth of their daughter, Angel Iris, in 2007 - leading to a public paternity spat but she supported him by attending the screening of Shrek Forever After in Los Angeles recently.

It is the final film in the animated series about the loveable green ogre. Murphy, who lends his voice to Donkey, arrived on the red carpet with his family, joking, "It's crowded in the limo!" Brown kept a low profile and preferred to hug and chat with Murphy's family members. — ANI 

Lilly Allen has dismissed rumours of pregnancy, which sparked after she revealed that she was quitting her pop career. Following her exit, she had said: "I'd like to have a child within a year. I'd say it will be a minimum of four or five years before I make a record again." Also, recently she was spotted with a phantom bump when a gust of wind blew up her top. However, she has denied all suggestions of pregnancy. "I'm not pregnant. FYI", the Mirror quoted her as writing on Twitter. — ANI

Hollywood veteran Meryl Streep has been honoured with a top award from New York's Barnard College. The Mamma Mia! star was handed the Barnard Medal of Distinction.

The 60-year-old Oscar-winner, who also holds the distinction of being the most Oscar-nominated actor, said film awards have little bearing on her but the honour by college came as something special.

In a heartfelt speech in front of the other graduates, Streep said, "Barnard women have advantage and need to look forward to speeding progress in areas of suffering. There is only change, resistance to it, then more change.

"(Film) Awards have little bearing on my own personal wellbeing and happiness. Being here has helped me dig deep to find something to offer you. And you don't have to do anything except to make your parents proud. And you already have." — PTI

Transformers star Megan Fox has in an interview revealed that she has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Fox, 24, revealed to Allure magazine in the June issue that she cannot stand dirt, which means that she cannot use public cutlery or enter a restroom without feeling uncomfortable.

"This is a sickness, I have an illness," she said.

The actor also revealed that she has no qualms about hurting the paparazzi photographer who snapped a topless photo of her on the set of her new film. — ANI

Is your kid a couch potato? Or worse, a mouse potato (hooked to the Internet)? Are all his summer vacations dedicated to the PS 2 or 3 or any other latest version of video games? If that's the case, here comes a breather for all you parents out there.

Pogo promises a colourful and creative summer with its 'Smart Potato' camp this season. The MAD live workshops at the camps offer kids an opportunity to learn some exciting new art tricks, techniques and concepts.

"The concept of 'Smart Potato' is anti-couch potato. It aims at making children smart through art. The workshop curriculum is devised in such a manner that it comes with a 360-degree approach - visual, performing and 3D. MAD has been adjudged the best kids show across the channels for five consecutive years and MAD live workshops are just an extension of the show," says Neeraj Assie, the brain behind 'Smart Potato'.

Bringing the Sunday morning creativity with Rob (Harun Robert), the iconic host and 'dost' of kids in MAD, to the classroom, the 'Smart Potato' workshops will be covering eight schools in the tricity wherein events and activities like Treasure Island, Jungle Safari, Mambo Jamboo will be held along with music, art and dance workshops (that's what MAD means).

The camps will cover kids from the age group of 3-15 years, divided into four categories - Tiny explorers (3-4 years), Little discoverers (4-6 years), MAD juniors (6-12 years) and MAD seniors (12-15 years).

Even the workshop has been divided into two parts. And the highlight of the camp will be its grand finale. "We will be organising a final festival in the first week of July where Rob will perform and interact with kids. He has become a favourite with kids, thanks to his big art stunts and fun tabletops activities on the show."

And not just kids, Neeraj is confident of a 100 per cent parental approval for the camp. "Our motto is to explore, discover and create. These activities will help kids improve their concentration and discipline, along with enjoyable and meaningful leisure time."

Apart from activities like theme-based workshops, the 'Smart Potato' has been holding holiday and weekend camps, exhibitions and competitions for kids. Their guest trainers include names like actor-director Joy Fernandez and actor-choreographer Javed Jaffery. "We are also planning to open a dance academy in association with 'Boogie Woogie' trio Javed, Naved and Ravi."

nehawalia@tribunemail.com

It's an exposition, an assortment; of talent, concepts, ideas, themes, frames and of course, the photographs. What brings them all together is the love for the lens. Stolen Moments, the photography exhibition by Chandigarh Fotography Club, presents 56 works by 14 photographers.

There's a section on nature, wildlife, abstracts, people, landscapes, human interest to people's photography. "We formed this cub in December 2008 and since then it's our first exhibition," apprises Kshitiz Sharma, while taking you along his collection of landmark monuments comprising the Taj Mahal, London Bridge and the like.

The club came into being pretty much for similar reasons like any association of like-minded people does. He adds, "Currently we are 30 active members and there are around 300 members already in our club."

There's reflected a state of mind behind each frame. A wild sparrow, an insect, a tortoise, sunflower against the play of light and shadow, wild insects, sparrow in the backdrop of a sunset, a herd of monkeys, flower bud, wild white tiger, a group of children smiling into the lens, mountain, clouds and the vast tracts, a lit up mountain village, a chess in progress….

"Every Sunday we hold photowalls, wherein we hold discussions and share ideas and decide on themes and what next. In the future we plan to hold more and more exhibitions, ideally every three to four months," shares Sandeep Gupta, HR consultant and a club member.

Absence of titles left each frame to a viewer's perception, just like a bicycle with a bag hanging by its handle parked against a window. "I tried to bring out the farmer's element into this picture, by showing his vehicle, tools and paraphernalia with fields behind them," says Aman Kaur. From black and white to loud contrasts, some were as spontaneous as being clicked with a phone camera. It's an assortment of stolen moments and to each his own.

— Manpriya Khurana

On till May 23 at Government Museum and Art Gallery-10

Managing relationships is a challenge at home. And it is even tougher at the work place where people from different cultures come together and perform under high stress levels. We check out how city folks steer their way clear of controversies and manage a healthy balance.

“In the corporate sector direct communication is the key. What has to happen has to happen; targets have to be met,” says Nitin Khanna, regional head, ICICI bank. His approach is to be open. “One needs to build that trust factor with peers and others. I am the one who loves to take lead in opening up — sharing jokes, work experiences and interests,” he says. And it’s not like that all happens within the workspace only. “To build camaraderie, we often meet after work, play a game or two of cricket, go horse-riding and stuff,” he adds.

For Vivek Sharma, escalation officer, IBM Daksh, getting along with colleagues from different cultures is challenging but this guy takes thing in his stride by being sincere and fulfilling his job responsibilities. “As long as one is doing his or her share of work in a team its easy to strike a healthy professional relationship,” shares Vivek. “It helps if people shoulder responsibilities for each other off and on. There is someone to back you up, there is a trust; which distinguishes a good team from others,” he adds. Apart from that, work orientations helps one understand the roles better and get in the groove.

Vivek often meets up his office colleagues after work. “We are in the same age group, in the same profession and over a period of time one tends to develop common interests. We meet up outside office to play games and party,” he adds.

For Siddhant Verma, a theatre person, his colleagues are as important as family members. “For anyone who joins theatre, the first lesson is to treat your fellows as family. And just like in family even here one is closer to some members and not so close to the others,” shares Siddhant who ends up spending lots of time with his colleagues. “Sometimes we are together from six in the morning to one at night; not to mention, the tours that take us out of the city,” he says. “Though being professional one maintains healthy relationship, sometimes it happens that we are not talking to each other in real life but play perfect brothers on stage. In that scenario, the director who often acts as captain of the ship helps us resolve the differences,” he shares.

Staging plays across the country makes Siddhant come across actors from different regions. “Every place has its culture. Chandigarh is relatively elite so sometimes we do find some other cultures rude, but we often talk the issue and sort out rather than sulk over it,” says Siddhant.

“Experience teaches you a lot,” says Alpana Nehraw, who is in teaching profession for more than 16 years. “When one is new to a profession, one is aggressive, but experience mellows you down. That helps one strike positive work relations,” she says. “Colleagues do become friends because it’s difficult to switch off one’s personal self at work place. One has to interact with them socially as well. And your social equation affects the professional one,” she quips.

“When one talks of workplace relationships there are two things that come into play. One is how to generate healthy relationships and the other is how to maintain them,” says Harpreet Kanwal Chhabra, chairperson, department of psychology, Panjab University. “One needs to share a common vision with peers and be within that. There has to be an understanding of what level of excellence you are striving for,” she says. As for the personal life, its better left outside workplace, she suggests. “If problem occur still, one needs to address the root cause and look for solutions,” she offers.

mona@tribunemail.com

“Emotionomics is a recent term. It’s the mental calculation of what the outcome is going to be before one takes any action,” says Dr Harpeet Kanwal Chhabra. “This can help a lot in maintaining professional relationships,” she avers. 

Babies learn while asleep, an ability that is crucial for them to rapidly adapt to the world around them, a new study has claimed.The study by researches from Columbia University in New York suggested that the newfound ability of infants help them ensure their survival. For their study, the researchers carried out experiments with 26 sleeping infants, each just one to two days old.

They played a musical tone followed by a puff of air to their eyes 200 times over the course of a half-hour. A network of 124 electrodes stuck on the scalp and face of each baby also recorded brain activity during the experiments.

It was found that the babies rapidly learnt that they could expect a puff of air upon hearing the tone, showing a four-fold increase on average in the chances of tightening their eyelids in response to the sound by the end of each session.“It’s surprising how quickly they learned — the study took 30 minutes, but I think they actually learned this in half that time,” said lead researcher William Fifer.“We knew that a baby’s job is to be an information gatherer, a data sponge, but I don’t think we realised this also happens when they’re sound asleep.” During their study, the researchers noticed certain aspects of brain-wave activity over the frontal parts of the babies’ brains also increased significantly over time.

This potentially reflected how the newborns were updating their memories. In fact, past research showed that the brains of sleeping infants were abuzz with activity in regions associated with visual, motor and auditory processing. “And babies spend so much time asleep, which fortunately could be an ideal time and state to ask questions of their brain.” — PTI 

All of us must have felt that uncontrollable craving to have chocolates, potato chips, or any other specific food item.Now, researchers have delved deep to find out why do we get intense desires to eat certain foods. Psychological scientists Eva Kemps and Marika Tiggemann of Flinders University, Australia, review the latest research on food cravings and how they may be controlled in a recent study.

What makes food cravings different from hunger is how specific they are. Many of us experience food cravings from time to time, but for certain individuals, these cravings can pose serious health risks.

For example, food cravings have been shown to elicit binge-eating episodes, which can lead to obesity and eating disorders.

In addition, giving in to food cravings can trigger feelings of guilt and shame. Many research studies suggest that mental imagery may be a key component of food cravings - when people crave a specific food, they have vivid images of that food. Results of one study showed that the strength of participants' cravings was linked to how vividly they imagined the food.

Mental imagery (imagining food or anything else) takes up cognitive resources, or brainpower.

Studies have shown that when subjects are imagining something, they have a hard time completing various cognitive tasks. In one experiment, volunteers who were craving chocolate recalled fewer words and took longer to solve math problems than volunteers who were not craving chocolate.

These links between food cravings and mental imagery, along with the findings that mental imagery takes up cognitive resources, may help to explain why food cravings can be so disruptive-As we are imagining a specific food, much of our brainpower is focused on that food, and we have a hard time with other tasks. — ANI