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Ready to go(al)
With Lalit Modi grappling between heaps of papers, BCCI still lost somewhere between facts and figures; with all the Shetty's, Zinta's and SRK's gone back to places where they originally belong to; with Twitter waiting for an anonymous someone to leave spicy inside news; with cheerleaders dancing to the tunes of an advertisement campaign... it is time to turn our heads to something else that is and could in the coming month make waves - the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Now who was talking about cricket being the only sought after game? Football too has many takers in the city and around. Never mind if they can't get the names of the players right; it's okay if they don't know whether David Beckham is a footballer or a Hollywood actor, forget it if they still feel Diego Maradona is the man to watch out for…city's 'football 2010 fever' is definitely rising. From increase in the number of communities on Facebook during the last one month to whipping up football-based menus in pubs and restaurants, to fancy hair cuts and tattoos… city folks are all set to cheer their favourite team at the FIFA World Cup 2010. Fans galore
Cricket sure has a crazy fan following, which explains the dedicated number of websites and portals for it. Nevertheless, football is the second most sought after game with the Indians. The popularity, however, is restricted to the youngsters. At least, the scene is not as bad as hockey. Says Mikhil Kapoor, an engineering student, who has still to find a good website on hockey, "Goal.com India has almost 6,590 supporters on Facebook. In fact, this website has the most fans in the world. There are 53,870 communities of the FIFA World Cup on Facebook." For Sameer Sandhu from Chakra:Vu band, this is how it has always been. "Contrary to the popular belief that cricket is 'the' game, it is rather soccer that rules the roost when it comes to world sports rating. The kind of fan following and madness it generates, I don't think cricket can any day come close." With more than 11, 147,299 views on youtube.com for a song on world (the world cup anthem), Sameer sure seems to be saying the right! He adds, "Football has a select fan following of those who understand the game knee deep or should we say foot deep. I know of my friends who play football on the Internet. Some of them are strong loyalists of football clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool." And with the D-day getting closer, Twitter too is buzzing with activity. (Sorry, no SRK or Aamir tweeting about it!). Says Mikhil, "A lot of fans tweet and also participate in private forums across the Internet. They post questions and get answers regarding the game. Verbal fights between the fans on the Internet are very interesting. Club football is a passion with youngsters and now it is country-based football that will spice up the Internet for the next one month." Beat the heat
Football is a sport that generates a lot of excitement. But you don't need to dress up in your 'Monday or Tuesday best' and line up in the queue at the ticket counter in the sweltering sun. Now, it's time to thank god for a mug of cool frothy beer and a great game of football! City restaurants and pubs are working on the same lines - busy whipping up some action through their menus and looks. Shares Ankit Gupta, director, Himani's Vertigo Lounge, "We have a wall where fans can leave their comments, lucky draws; events like zeroing on the winning team everyday and walking away with a prize, lounge prizes and much more. We have a special menu that will offer dishes like Durban Cheese Balls, J'Berg Tikka, Pretoria rice. You get to enjoy the action on a big screen with coolers of your choice." Ditto for Purple Rice-35. "The chef will be giving a special FIFA menu," says Vipul Dua of Purple Rice. He adds, "The menu will have an exotic theme with Japanese, Thai and Malaysian dishes to choose from. Beer and football make a deadly combination and we would be serving all varieties of imported beer and lemonades." Hotel Western Court too will soon roll out their 'beer scheme' wherein they will give one mug of beer free with two mugs! Shares Rajeev Kakar, group general manager, "We have been given the DTH (Direct to Home) material by United Breweries especially for the FIFA World Cup. This will allow us to show the matches live from South Africa without any advertisement break." The city sure can look forward to beating the heat with beer and football! Cut 2 cut
Fans, oh fans, it is their moral duty and responsibility to behave in a particular manner! They will deck and design themselves for the occasion. And the best part…they are not loyalists! Some wacky football fans are going in for crazy haircuts before the match. "Considering the fact that football is not even our sport, this kind of madness is worth appreciating," says Munish Bajaj, Executive Director, L'Oreal Tress Lounge. And jazzed up colours for the hair along with temporary tattoos is what he is looking forward to in the
coming days. No, the frenzy does not end here. Some tour operators and travel agents are offering huge discounts and packages for the World Cup. SOTC has a line up of packages for South Africa; customers just need to select the teams they want to follow and the matches they want to see. So, lets get the ball rolling! jasmine@tribunemail.com |
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Master storyteller
As a student filmmaker, what is your selling point? A FTII tag, an out-of-the-box concept or choosing a subject that most would pass off as alternate cinema? "All three of them," Vibhu Puri offers a firm reply.
"And yet a Prakash Jha, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Rajkumar Hirani would not have been successful if they weren't such powerful filmmakers. An institute opens your mind to the world outside the box while you keep your sensibilities intact," he adds. Before we continue discussing the finer points of filmmaking, experimentation in cinema and exploring the unknown, here's an introduction. Vibhu Puri belongs to the cult of young and innovative (if that's an advantage) filmmakers from FTII, Pune. In the city to interact with students and screen his movie Chabi Wali Pocket Watch, Vibhu is everything that a customised FTII tag brings along —instinctive, perceptive and innovative. Not to mention, direct. "I never try to work too much on theories or stuff my head with thoughts. But anything that resonates with my thought process becomes a part of my story," he says. Sure, with two acclaimed short movies behind him now, he can afford to make such statements and trust others to believe them as well. Chabi Wali Pocket Watch, which Vibhu made as a part of his diploma, was India's official entry to the student Oscars in 2006 and also won the best feature award at the IBDA's Awards in Dubai, and the Special Kodak Award at the 13th International Film School Festival in Lodz (Poland). But the guy is humble when he says he didn't care if he got a nomination or the Oscar itself. "I was supposed to make a presentation for my movie at the Oscars but since neither me nor my institute had the money to spend on the entire trip, we just let it go." Different, we already mentioned that. This and of course another award came his way when Chabi Wali Pocket Watch made it as the only official entry in the Student Filmmaker Category at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006. "I won the Emerging Filmakers of the World Award. It was the only entry from the Asia Pacific." If his first film brought out the comparison between art and materialism, his second Chauras Chand was an attempt to discover the romanticism in the radical poetry of legendary underground poet Paash. "I have been reading Paash since a long time now and believe his poetry is more romantic than revolutionary. When I started with the idea of a documentary, the real challenge was to make a movie on a Punjabi poet in Pune," he says. And so he explored the underbelly of Pune, looking for comparisons in hardline revolutionaries of the two regions. "I visualised his poetry, the utopian dreams that he mentions and the actual love for his motherland. My documentary was not about interviews but Paash's poetry resonating with practical life." After proving his sensibilities as a filmmaker and critical success, Vibhu's next step was Bollywood, without doubt. Assisting Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Saanwariya and now Guzarish, and Vishal Bhardawaj in The Blue Umbrella, Vibhu doesn't feel intimidated by the commercial interests. "My kind of cinema was Pukar, Hum, and the likes till I was introduced to Satyajit Ray at FTII. Its motivational, powerful and successful." And his next venture again proves the point. "I am currently working on a movie Chenab Gandhi with Amitabh Bachchan, Harman Baweja and Vidya Balan. It's a period movie with Partition as the background and what happened with the aam aadmi amidst Nehrus, Gandhis and Jinnahs of the world," he signs off. nehawalia@tribunemail.com |
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Objet D’ ART Circus might be a dying art now, but the artist community's fascination to translate it on canvas continues Parbina Rashid Time is a circus, always packing up and moving away…
However, Raj Kapoor was not the only one to eulogise and capture the essence of the circus. Much before him Pablo Picasso painted clowns and circus performers extensively during his Rose Period. According to art historians The Cirque Médrano (formerly The Cirque Fernando), which performed in Paris and had its base in Montmartre, close to Picasso's studio, had a profound influence on his works. The unusual theatrics and physical energy of the circus fascinated him. He also felt that the circus performers' keeping together as a family-like unit while being at odds with conventional society mirrored the bohemian lifestyle of artistes. Family of Saltimbanques, which Picasso painted in 1905, features a group of circus performers and is supposed to be the bridge between his Blue period and Rose period. Other than Picasso, The Cirque Médrano had inspired many 19th century artists —Edgar Degas, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Georges Seurat to name a few. Circus might be a dying art now, but the artist community's fascination to translate it on canvas continues. So what is about circus that draws them? And the answer lies in Manjit Bawa's quote once he gave in an interview, "For, in the end, life is a circus. There is adventure, there is skill of body, there are daggers, machines, there's birth and death. And there's a joker." To each of his own! S Rajkumar, another city-based artist, endorses Raj Kapoor's portrayal of a clown through his paintings. Hence his painting of a joker, which was the outcome of a workshop in Jalandhar a few years back, and a girl walking on a rope comes with a touch of sadness despite the bright colours he has used. When one is talking about circus paintings, vibrant colours become an integral part of the frame. This is what one gets to see in the paintings of Sanjay Kumar, another homegrown artist. It was not the circus per se or the agony or ecstasy of the performing artistes that made Sanjay take up circus as a theme for his 50-odd paintings, but the movement of hands and legs of those performers. "Most of my paintings were done on the spot and the emphasis has been more on their legs and hand movements," says Sanjay, adding how he was fascinated by the fact that air becomes the ground for those trapeze artists. Sanjay has done his works in ink drawing as well as tempera and acrylic. Sanjay has captured starkness of light and darkness of a circus to his advantage. The most though-provoking quote comes from Viren Tanwar, who painted circus for a long 10 years and calls the experience a revelation about life itself. "I used to go by the popular perception that life within the circus is all about hardship and misery. But as I started painting the lifestyle of acrobats, jokers and animals, I found there is a lot of happiness too. They are doing what they are doing because they love it." This is why Viren is bringing back the circus element in his latest miniature series, with a touch of nostalgia and self-realisation, which he captures by painting himself as one of the characters riding an animal. "This to say that I am happy to be doing what I am doing," says Viren. Well, his life has indeed come to a full circus…err full circle! pabina@tribunemail.com
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Biblical themes dominate Christie's mid-season Old Masters sale next week, including works by Peter Paul Rubens and Pieta by French 19th century painter William Adolphe Bouguereau. Spanning seven centuries of European painting, the sale on Wednesday is expected to fetch between $11.2 million to $16.8 million, double the $6.5 million sold a year earlier. "Nearly every collecting category had some reduction in volume during the recession but the effect was more tempered within our Old Masters sales worldwide," a spokeswoman said. "Collectors in this category tend to be long-term private collectors and dealers with ample discretionary income." The mid-season auction traditionally features items under $1 million. Christie's main Old Masters sales, which are in January, fetched $38.5 million in 2010, which was double the amount from the previous year. The only seven-figure work in the sale is Bouguereau's 1876 Pieta which was once owned by actor Sylvester Stallone. Stricken by grief, Bouguereau painted the work, which could fetch as much as $2.5 million, after the death of his 16-year-old son. It marked the artist's initial plunge into religious art, said James Hastie, Christie's head of 19th century art. "The painting covers grief in various expressions," he explained, noting the eight angels. With separate gestures, they encircle a red-rimmed-eyed Madonna. Gold halos hover over the Virgin Mary and the deceased, reclined in her lap. His bright blue veins contrast with the white pallor of his lifeless limbs. His feet dangle above a blood-soaked cloth, alongside a crown of thorns. A painting called The Agony in the Garden from the studio of El Greco, has an estimate of up to $300,000. It depicts Christ at the Mount of Olives, on the last night of his life, clad in a strawberry red robe. In the distance soldiers approach to arrest him. Rubens' An Allegory of Fortitude is expected to sell for a similar price. Its hero is a fusion of Hercules, of classical mythology fame, and Samson, his biblical counterpart. Victorian-era art in the sale includes a hallucinatory vision of fairies by John Anster Fitzgerald. His Death of Fairy Queen shows a weightless white-clad fairy floating above a grave on a delicate green leaf. The work is expected to sell for up to $200,000. Another Victorian painting, In the Golden Olden Time by John Atkinson Grimshaw has a $500,000 estimate. It shows a woman waling down a leaf-strewn lane bathed in autumnal sunshine. — Reuters
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Creative zone
Gill Surjit is one of the very few writers who have been admired for genuine verses in the Punjabi music and film industry for the past four decades. Even the legendary Surinder Kaur, Shiromani Punjabi singer Pammi Bai and Bollywood playback singers like Mohinder Kapoor, Jaspinder Narula, Suresh Wadekar and Mangal Singh have sung his songs.
Besides Punjabi pop stars Malkit Singh, Channi Singh, Hira group, Apna Sangeet and other groups in UK or Canada, Dolly Guleria, Harbhajan Mann et al have immortalised songs penned by Gill Surjit. Credited with over a 1,000 songs, mostly recorded by leading music companies, Gill Surjit ensures that the emotional intensity of the lyrics is brought out by the singer. That is why many of his songs like Wanga da vanjara, Munde gabroo Punjabi etc have earned the status of folk songs. Gill Surjit, who holds a Masters degree in Punjabi literature and is a black belt in judo, avers that a lyricist should have vision, originality of thought, charm and freshness in his writings. He attributes his success as a poet to his old friend and batch mate, star actor-singer Gurdas Maan, whom he met while doing a judo course at the NIS Patiala. "My dormant poetic potential was awakened during my association with him. However, Gurdas admired my Bhangra skills, which have also fetched international recognition," claims Gill. "I have choreographed folk dances in films Jee Ayaan Nu, Asan nu maan vatna da," he adds. Gill Surjit has earlier established his credentials as a star folk dance performer by winning Mohindera College colours for four years in succession and performing at the Republic day at New Delhi for 10 years. He represented India in the International Folk Dance Festival in Tunisia in 1971 and choreographed bhangra-giddha contingent at Asiad 1982. He has also choreographed dances and participated in cultural events in Singapore and Dubai, Festival of India in Russia and Festival of India in Germany etc. He has also been awarded the Patiala Rattan. |
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Auction house Christie's is offering a Monet waterlily painting worth an estimated 30 to 40 million pounds ($44-59 million) this month in what it expects to be the biggest sale it has ever mounted in London. With the international art market booming again after a slump when financial markets crashed, the Christie's sale also includes a Blue Period portrait by Pablo Picasso, offered by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation founded by the composer, and carrying a price tag about the same as the 1906 Monet. The Monet, which is to be unveiled on Thursday, and the Picasso, plus 61 other works on offer, are expected to take the tally on June 23 to 164-231 million pounds. This would be in excess of the London record of 147 million pounds set at rival Sotheby's in February. That amount was boosted by a world auction record for a work of art when an Alberto Giacometti statue went under the hammer for $104.3 million. Three months later, Christie's topped that high with a Picasso, which fetched $106.5 million in New York. "We are witnessing a great willingness from clients to consign works of art of the highest quality," said Giovanna Bertazzoni, head of impressionist and modern art at Christie's. The top European auction total stands at 183 million pounds for the impressionist and modern art section of the private Yves Saint Laurent collection. With records tumbling, it comes as little surprise that owners of the finest art are willing to offer it up for sale. Ongoing uncertainty over the state of the broader global economy has failed to dampen the mood in sales rooms, with only a handful of super-wealthy individuals or museums needed to drive values higher. A relatively shortlived slump in the art market was driven as much by sellers drying up as by buyers no longer wanting to pay out large sums for paintings and sculptures. — Reuters
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Designer cut
They are already mini celebs of sorts, with their pictures waving out of newspaper supplements; a Lakme Fashion Week experience sitting pretty on their resumes and most appreciated tag atop it all.
On Thursday, INIFD proudly showcased the collection, Auction of Humanity, by its star students, the designer duo Sukhwant and Aastha. Post the mini-fashion show; they talk about the Lakme experience, their collection and much more. "For our collection, slavery was the theme. So it's aptly named Auction of Humanity and how this institution is akin to selling humanity," Sukhwant, who hails from Malout in Punjab, begins with the basics. He adds, "We worked on the dresses from December to March." A total of eight dresses comprising a range of deconstructed asymmetrical silhouettes and semi bandage dresses in pastels and check required its share of historical research. Shares Sukhwant, "We saw old movies related to our theme. Basically it's been made keeping African slavery in mind. We used beige colour, blacks, greys and check fabrics." Chips in Aastha, "We used all rope accessories, jute fabrics, check fabrics. All the accessories were used is a way that further added to the theme." What's more? Their collection has also been invited for the Hong Kong Fashion Week. Nods Sukhwant, "Our collection also got rated as nine on ten at an Internet rating competition." Of the collection being rated as best at the Gen Next category of Lakme Fashion Week summer resort, he says, "At Lakme they really appreciated our clothes; liked them for the fact that they are down to earth and not over the top and colourful. They admired it saying how everything was according to the theme." Post this they take their clothes in the emerging designer category at the next fashion week's winter/festive season. manpriya@tribunemail.com |
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Creative workout
Drama as an art addresses humanity as a whole and not just one particular group. Therefore, every individual should associate himself with theatre as early as possible," opines Gagan Mishra, an acclaimed theatre director and expert in children theatre.
Mishra is in the city as part of NZCC Patiala's initiative to propagate theatre at the grassroots level. The body has been organising theatre workshops for children for the last eight years. Says its director, DS Saroya, "Our workshops, covering a specially designed syllabus, have produced far-reaching results and now we have invited one of the most talented trainer for children, Gagan Mishra from Jaipur, for our workshop that commences tomorrow." Born and brought up in Jaipur, Mishra took three years training in children theatre at the Jawahar Kala Kendra before winning HRD culture ministry's fellowship for 'Theatre for Children and Theatre in Education'. He has been teaching and practicing theatre for the last 15 years with a mission to get theatre introduced in the curriculum of schools. Meanwhile, the syllabus for the workshop includes creative drama, mime and moment with an emphasis on body language, script writing, poetry, voice and speech therapy, characterization, creative dance, music and yoga. The workshop is open for children in the age group of 8-16 years and will be held in two sessions between 7.30 am to 11.00 am and 5.00 pm to 8.00 pm from June 3 to 27 at Kalagram. "Interactive sessions with participants and parents will certainly be beneficial," says Mishra's associate Kapil Sharma, a postgraduate in drama. |
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Highlighting the danger of disturbed ecological balance, students of Chitkara School of Mass Communication presented a street play "Save or Face" under the aegis of Enigma here at the Sector-17 Plaza. The short play, written and directed by Chandan Gill and enacted by Abhishek, Priyanka, Sudeep, Seeza, Akshu, Alisha, Navleen, Rajesh, Mudit, Ravneet and Chandan, reveals their heartfelt concern for the environment and the hazardous times generation next is set to face. Characters like drought, earthquakes, teacher or students portrayed by the actors were the special feature of the play. The role of media, politicians and public in saving the environment was defined and discussed as well. "The script needsto be revised to power the play with more action, tone and treatment. It will be repeated on June 5 at the same venue and time," says Abhinajan Chabra, the organiser of the play. — TNS
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Side Lanes
If this traveller's vision was realised, the Indian diaspora confirmed that the New World is their dream too. How does this happen? These young men and women who are constricted by family mores; complain about cold food; un- phooloed phoolkas; un-ironed shirts; constant fatigue and the lack of good servants… these same people are like well oiled machines when they work abroad. Dolly works with a realtor. Her home is beautifully designed, decorated and very comfortable. She can fix a light, mend a machine, spend eight to twelve hours at work and cook a hot Indian dinner every day. She starts the morning at the gym and before going to bed, packs three lunches for the morrow. She drives Inder to school, has a great sense of humour and is the perfect host. Anil wakes up early, serves breakfast, sees to the washing and drying of clothes, picks Inder up from school, takes him for piano lessons and waits in the car, utilising his time reading the Wall Street Journal and keeping in touch with family and friends. He empties the dishwasher, dries and stores utensils, cutlery, and crockery; cleans the floor and work counters. Before we reached Minneapolis, he had familiarised himself with our habits, likes, dislikes and needs. The young parents supervise their son's studies and extra curricular activities. Team work and time management allows them to utilise each day fully. Sixteen-year old Inder is a pianist with eight state awards and a good academic record. In Seattle, Shallete works at Starbucks and Arun with Microsoft. Sixteen-month old Andre` can feed himself and indicates his needs through sign language. All children in daycare learn the universal, UN approved language even before they start speaking. I see a common means of communication in a country that has the same multi-ethnicity as us. Its perfection lies in its simplicity and its value is immeasurable with the hearing and speech disabled throughout the world. After eight hours at the daycare centre, a daily report describes his nutritional, physical and mental progress. A menu chart lists his weekly food requirements. He is a chubby child with no health problems. His meals have no additives of salt or sugar. Back at home, the parents bathe and play with him for two hours, before putting him to bed. Both the above-mentioned families are comfortable financially. The company and state make life easier for them in any way they can. At a price, they offer daycare centres; piped in gas; steady electricity; drinkable water in taps; clean, well maintained surroundings and parks; friendly but firm policing; one stop malls for everything under the sun; trouble-free cars and excellent Medicare. Both families represent the American dream for anyone who is brave enough to grasp it with both hands. In New York, Camille greets us with a mouth-watering lobster bisque, shrimp salad and garlic chicken. She caters for huge, private parties. Her day starts around 2.p.m. and ends late at night. John, leaves home at 5.30.a.m. supervises government transportation, returns in the afternoon and races cars over the weekend. Jon, an undergrad, is bar tending during the vacation. Diane, a Phd from Cornell, teaches in one of the roughest schools in the Bronx. She has to put up with a daily dose of tantrums, disrespect and total un-willingness to learn. The family meets only at dinner, which is an occasion for joyful interaction and support. The American dream specifies hard work and ensures equitable monetary compensation for the same. The various schemes thought out by the Indian State can show us a similar dream, provided it can implement it with sincerity and honesty.
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The unusual pairing of Sonam Kapoor and Imran Khan in I Hate Luv Storys has generated quite a buzz and filmmaker Karan Johar who is producing the rom-com says that it is the freshness of the two young actors, which is the USP of the film. Johar says that the film and its lead pair are sure to click with the younger generation who no more accept the old fashioned ideals of love. "The two form a very fresh pair and that should work for the audience. In fact ever since the promotion of IHLS began, there has been excellent feedback all over. People are reacting to the freshness factor. There is a youthful energy which they bring and that is pretty much visible in the film," the filmmaker said. The film which parodies the romantic clichés of Bollywood sees Sonam playing a 'filmi' romantic while Imran plays a cynic who hates love stories. Both Imran and Sonam are new entrants in the industry and neither has delivered a hit in the past year, but Johar is sure that their chemistry will work wonders. Imran didn't have much luck running in his favour after Luck and Kidnap and Sonam too is yet to find her groove despite biggies like Saawariya and Delhi 6 behind her. "Imran has already shown so much promise in his very first film Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa. On the other hand everyone knows that Sonam is beautiful and good at playing the girl-next-door," said Johar. "However, while she was very Indian in Delhi 6 and Saawariya, there is a different kind of girl that she plays in IHLS. She is presented in such an avatar for the first time," he added. The film pokes fun at the 'cheesy' treatment given to love stories in Hindi cinema and takes pot shots at some of Johar's own movies including Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. "Today there is a lot of cynicism attached to love. The old fashioned love is no longer accepted. Even if people see that happening, they find it so unbelievable," said Johar adding that when director Punit Malhotra narrated the subject of IHLS to him, he immediately said yes. "I have met a lot of youngsters who believe that old fashioned love stories are a thing of the past. No wonder, there has been quite some time since we saw an iconic love story. The last big one, which the entire nation liked, was Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Before that it was Maine Pyaar Kiya while in the recent times I can only think of Jab We Met to some extent," he said. Though Johar admits that love stories are not finding much acceptance from the audience now a days, he is confident that IHLS will work. "Well, ours is a nice youthful attempt and even though we are not selling it as a out of the world original story, we know that it will work. I know that audience is hungry for different love stories and it will connect with the film," said Johar about the IHLS, which releases on July 2. — IANS
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Koffee break Prakash Jha known for the critically acclaimed films like Damul, Pariniti, Mrityudand, Apharan and Gangajal is ready to take centestage with another hard-hitting film Rajneeti, produced by UTV Motion Pictures, Walkwater Media and Prakash Jha Productions. It is Prakash Jha's most ambitious attempt at taking on intense political drama, which has references from Mahabharata. Lifestyle talks to him about his expectations with Rajneeti. How confident are you about the subject of the film? I am very confident about the film. I hope it is going to be the best political drama made till now. The film has a personal drama of conflict-ridden characters that unfolds against the gritty backdrop of politics. How was your experience working with your stars? With a huge starcast like Naseeruddin Shah, Nana Patekar, Ajay Devgn, Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Manoj Bajpai and Katrina Kaif, the experience can only be great. All the actors are brilliant and will surprise the audience with their performances. What made you cast Katrina Kaif? She is talented and does not carry any particular image. I decided to cast her after watching her movies Welcome, New York and Ajab Prem Ki Ghajab Kahani. So, Katrina was the best choice. What is Rajneeti all about? It is a political drama and modern-day Mahabharata, which has Manoj Bajpai's role close to the character of Duryodhan while Arjun Rampal has shades of Bhim. It took me a long time to research the subject and the out come is above my expectations. How as it working with Ranbir Kapoor and Sarah Thompson? It was pleasure to work with both of them. They are committed actors and have performed their best. Sarah has done some serials and films in Hollywood before making her Bollywood debut with Rajneeti. Who has sketched the characters of Rajneeti? Costume designer Priyanka Mundada has sketched the characters' looks. The references are taken from today's young politicians who are well-styled. — Dharam Pal
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Actor Arshad Warsi has decided to skip the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards in Colombo to shoot for the dance reality show Zara Nachke Dikha. "I was supposed to perform for IIFA but I can't go because I have to shoot for ZND (Zara Nachke Dikha)," Warsi, who is one of the three judges on the show, wrote on his Twitter page. IIFA begins today in Colombo and several Bollywood personalities like Riteish Deshmukh, Lara Dutta, Bipasha Basu, Boman Irani, Vivek Oberoi and tennis player Mahesh Bhupati will be making an appearance at the gala event. The 42-year-old actor who rose to stardom with Munnabhai M.B.B.S and Lage Raho Munnabhai had delivered with Ishqiya. Many Bollywood A-listers are giving this year's IIFA weekend a miss. Abhishek Bachchan-Aishwarya Rai, who were a regular at IIFA will not be attending the three-day event, as they are busy promoting Raavan. The film's director Mani Ratnam had also announced that neither he nor his film will be a part of the Bollywood extravaganza. Even brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan's presence is not confirmed. Southern superstars Kamal Haasan and Rajnikanth have already declined the invitation to attend the event. Haasan decided not to participate in the IIFA as a mark of protest against the alleged mistreatment of Tamils in Sri Lanka. Shah Rukh Khan and Arjun Rampal too will not be attending the event. — PTI
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Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham's request for fruits at photo shoots has surprised many as she insists that the healthy treats must not be mixed up. The fashion designer who is famous for her waif-thin figure has compiled a long list of exact demands for her dressing room "rider". The wife of football heartthrob David Beckham has banned salad dressings, oil and butter from her diet and demands that there be specific fruits, chewing gum and champagne at her disposal during photo shoots. The list includes, "Cut pineapple with grated lime peel, green seedless grapes, red grapes (frozen), cut-up pear with lemon juice, apples, peeled pink grapefruit, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries." But it warns, "Please do not mix up the fruit but keep separate," reported a website. "She's obsessed with fruit and can't get enough. The list always gets a chuckle from the assistants who have to go and get this stuff. If we mix the fruit up there's hell to pay. But it's Victoria Beckham. What she wants she gets," said a source. For her snacks, the 35-year-old requests chewing gum and for drinks she orders flavoured water, peppermint and green tea and her champagne has to be Veuve Clicquot. She also asks for scented candles, iPod speakers, a clean robe, baby wipes and white, cream or purple flowers. "There is never a request for anything with more than a handful of calories. We joked about leaving a Big Mac in the dressing room, but we know we'd get fired," added the source. — PTI
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Reality TV star Kim Kardashian will now be dishing out tips on beauty, fashion and love in her latest avatar as a phone application. While for most Hollywood celebrities, it's a case of the slimmer the better, Kardashian wanted the creators of her phone app avatar to make her famous derriere even more plump, reported a magazine online. The 29-year-old was involved with the design of her own iPhone application, and the animated image see her dressed in a figure hugging purple dress and towering heels. "She asked them to revise her avatar three or four times because it didn't look right to her. She went with the biggest butt of all the options," said a source. The application, which fans pay to download on iTunes, was released to promote her new self-titled perfume. — PTI
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NEW RELEASES Rajneeti
Prakash Jha's political drama Rajneeti has been shot in Bhopal. The leading actors Ajay Devgn, Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Naseeruddin Shah, Nana Patekar, Arjun Rampal and Manoj Bajpai play politicians and their get up was designed keeping in mind the young, savvy modern politicians. The film traces the journey of a common man's plunge into Indian politics. Arjun Rampal is one of the powerful characters of the film, rude on one hand and sophisticated on the other. Rajneeti is contemporary treatment and the hunger for power forms the crux of the film. Watch this intense political drama at your nearest theatre. — Dharam Pal
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Alluring yet detached, exotic yet real, colourful yet bleak — that's what circus means to most of us, especially to the generation who grew up watching Raj Kapoor's Mera Naam Joker. After all, art sometimes can get more real than reality and have a lasting impact on one's mind. 
When a couple of jyotshis, one barely twenty and the other on his deathbed, told me I would never cross India 's shores, I was disappointed. Two trips to Australia and one to the USA have made me examine the old palm again. The travel lines are swimming into the racettes!
Producers: UTV Motion Pictures, Walkwater Media and Prakash Jha
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