|
|
|
|
|
Mona Lisa mania
Long ago Eliot had satirised society ladies in his famous poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock in the lines: In the room women come and go/ Talking of Michelangelo. However, this week in Chandigarh women have been talking not of Michelangelo but Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) and more so his immortal painting called Mona Lisa.
Anyway, any excuse is good excuse to talk of the lady with the enigmatic smile because she has remained indefatigable across several centuries. Critic Walter Pater said of her: “She is older than the rocks among which she sits”. No other work of art has enjoyed the iconic status that this painting has with celebrated singer Nat King Cole singing to her: Do you smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa?/ Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?/Are you warm, are you real, Mona Lisa? /Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art? Well, a real woman did inspire the work. She was La Giocondo, wife of a wealthy silk merchant in Florence. But the artist also put himself in the work which took several years to complete and it was Pater again who cried out praising it: “All the experiences of the work have been etched and painted here”. Some even say that it is actually Leonardo’s own portrait. Some years ago there was a move to perform a DNA test on it to ascertain if Leonardo had mixed the colours with his own sputum or urine, as he believed in the use of such natural materials. This work of art has remained in news for both right and wrong reasons. It was stolen by an employee of the Louvre Museum at Paris in 1911 and French poet Guillaume Apollinaire was arrested because being a radical he had once stated that the Louvre be burnt down. His friend, the mighty Pablo Picasso, too was questioned. The painting has indeed come out with flying colours in the true test of achieving iconic status. It has been used, abused, stolen, caricatured and lampooned but its subject still sits pretty amidst the imagined landscape with hands virtuously folded in a bullet-proof glass case with thousands thronging to catch a glimpse and be photographed with her. The greatest desecration of the lady with the mysterious smile has been by well-known artists. Marcel Duchamp gave a postcard print of the lady a moustache and a goatee beard with the rude joke of L.H.O.O.Q written beneath, which in translation from French to English would read: “She is hot in the tail!” This was a joke intended at Leonardo’s homosexual tendencies. Salvador Dali gave her his own curved-up moustache. Interestingly, Duchamp’s postcard appeared at a Christie’s auction some years ago. Back home in India our own Maqbool Fida Husain could not resist the impulse to put the Madhuri Dixit in Mona Lisa garb. The lady at Louvre has withstood it all. Red paint has been hurled at her glass frame, China cup smashed against it but the lady has been smiling indulgently for 500 years and shall continue to do so ad infinitum!
|
|
Here is more for Mona Lisa lovers. The Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi is organising a lecture and slide show by renowned author, physicist and expert on Leonardo Da Vinci, Professor Bulent Atalay from the USA, on Friday. Professor Atalay talks about the genius of Leonardo da Vinci and highlights the man in full. His multi-dimensional connects Leonardo's brilliance in mathematics and the sciences with his extraordinary artistic talents. His best selling book, Math and the Mona Lisa, published by Smithsonian Books, has had numerous printings in English since its release in 2004, and has appeared in a dozen languages. His new book Leonardo's Universe: The Renaissance World of Leonardo da Vinci, co-authored by Keith Wamsley, has already been declared one of "Ten Must-Have Books for the Year" by the Britannica. A professor of physics in Virginia now, he was earlier a member of the Department of Theoretical Physics at the University of Oxford as well as the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. (At the Government Museum and Art Gallery-10) — TNS
|
|
Three cheers!
Bringing in a wholesome dining experience, Page 3 gives eating out a three-dimensional flavour with three of its restaurants — Café Amor, Kebab Khan and Zazen. The café and fine-dining concept complex promises to be unique. “We want to give people a choice in terms of food and experience. Cafe Amor is a European style hangout joint; Kebab Khan a speciality kebab restaurant and Zazen a pan-Asian fine dine restaurant,” says Siddharth Kumar, vice president, Alchemist food and beverages services, who is venturing into the food industry for the first time with Page 3. Moving over multi-cuisine menu and single space joint, the three-in-one approach sounds more interesting and convenient to Siddharth. “People are well travelled today and know their food. Moreover, multicuisine menu confuses customers. We wanted to be fine and focussed,” he says. All three restaurants have live and interactive kitchens, some with a grill or a ‘sighri’ and the other with a spitfire. And the chef is not hidden behind the walls. Open bar and private lounge area too is common and changes according to the theme. However, the similarities stop right there. Dash of love
That’s what Amor means. Café Amor brings out the elements of casual dining, in European style. The chic ambience is complemented by natural light and fusion food. It’s light and comfortable in its experience, a mix of lounge and café. Signature dishes with breakfast, community salads, smoothies, shakes and sundaes. The Vada Pau and pasta go hand-in-hand. And there are innovations like Chicken Makhani Pasta and Potli Pie. The café has a seating capacity of around 60 and a lounge area called Love Boot. And there is something special on the menu for the lovers — love portions, served as community salad for two. Royal treat
Kebab Khan, the speciality restaurant, is all about Nawabi cuisine. Travelling from Persia to Deccan, the select recipes have over 30 variations of kebabs from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Awadh, North-West Frontier and Hyderabad. The chef special includes the fiery Bukhani Kebab from Afghanistan; Kastori Talwari Kebab served on a flaming sword, Murg Makhani Palak, their own version of Murg Makhan Wala and Galouti Kebabs wrapped in ulta tawa parantha. The ambience adds to the royal experience with Persian style booths with satin drapes and intricately done grills acting as separating apparatus. The dim lighting and soft instrumental music complements the setting. Oriental express
The pan-Asian restaurant brings Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Malaysian cuisine to your table, with an option of customised menu. The sublime flavours of Crystal Dimsums, seafood delicacies and Indonesian sweet corn soup are one of the few things on offer. An array of meats, sauces and herbs is an add-on. Zazen also has two gazebo terraces and a cozy lounge bar integrated with the dining area. Some impressive elements in ambience include a Buddha imitation at the entrance, a floating platform and prayer wheels; see through walls and lots of candles. nehawalia@tribunemail.com |
|
Side Lanes A stagnant society cannot progress. Change in social habits and traditions is necessary for its survival. It is a slow process because adults have a natural resistance towards reform. Pre-teens and teens are keener to emulate ideas that appeal to their innate reasoning. This idea, mooted by Health Promoter Maya, (who witnessed too many idle children on the streets) created CASE, which came into being in November 2008. Developing Indigenous Resources–India (DIR-I), a non-profit NGO, has for the past five years striven to bring positive health to the people of Janta Colony and Adarsh Nagar, Nayagaon, Punjab. In the past two years, education and income generation programmes have been started. These two colonies are peopled by migrants from other states and earn a daily wage. Their incomes are low, living conditions deplorable. DIR-I tries to empower people to live healthy and economically viable lives. A popular notion amongst slum dwellers is that every negative condition is due to poverty and karma, and nothing can improve unless they become rich, some-how, any-how. This is disproved by some visible examples like Kerala and China. The per capita income in Kerala is lower than China, but life expectancy higher in terms of infant and maternal mortality. Kerala has taught us that education in health, hygiene and nutrition can bring dramatic changes to the physical well being and surroundings of people. The CASE programme ensures social changes as well as improves the health of local residents, who number around 15,000. At present 150 children (47 girls and 103 boys) between the ages of 9 and 14, participate in the project. More girls need to join as on becoming mothers they wield a greater influence on their progeny. There are 10 teams. Each is led by a health promoter appointed from DIR-I. HPs are young adults, trained by DIR’s physicians and nutritionists. The teams meet once a week after school for over an hour. They play games, created around health modules, which are preferable to monotonous lectures. Every week, a new activity puts forth a fresh idea, under the guidance of an HP ensuing discussion and debate ensures that the capsule is understood and retained. Most significantly 150 children are off the streets, indulging in informative, exciting activities. In 18 months, topics like hygiene, disease, immunisation schedules and proper diets for children and women at different stages of life, have been covered. The idea is not to create expertise amongst the participants, but to impart knowledge that can disseminated amongst families, friends and neighbours. Some of these children will be trained as HPs when they become adults. Members spread messages via street plays, puppet shows and cultural events in their neighbourhoods. To keep interest alive, picnics are held at regular intervals. Donors organise these. Competitions draw the best from each child. If individuals or teams bring about a particular change, they are rewarded. At present DIR-I is running one such competition called GEM-Goal: Eradicate Malnutrition. The competition, which started on May 5 this year, makes all CASE participants responsible for improving the health of two severely malnourished children in their assigned area. An assessment of improvement in these children will be made by the end of August. The first prize is a bicycle. Group prizes include racquets, footballs, chess etc. Pt Jawaharlal Nehru said ‘Children are a country’s greatest asset’. At CASE, young minds are moulded to reform society. Such a change will take place for two reasons: Firstly, being members of a family, they can act from within familial confines, making the process easier. Secondly in six to 10 years, these adolescents will become adults and put their knowledge to good use in their own homes, thus improving living standards. This point is proven through CASE, which is an exciting work-in-progress. Perhaps, this module created by Dr WF Shaw, is the grass-roots answer towards a better society. If adopted by the state it can bring life changing reforms.
|
|
|
Button up!
“I can actually turn it into countless garments, like the stuff those magicians do,” Anuj displays his creation Button Masala. “It can be worn in various styles, fitted onto any size, all with the change of a strap, buttons. You open the buttons; it’s a flat piece of fabric that can even be turned into cushion covers, pillow covers, bag.” There’s no escaping the versatility of the garment; as for the commercial acceptability there’s still a pause. “Hopefully, I’d like to see it on the roads, see a driver wearing it and then see a guard wearing it on the next road. Fashion is about individuals. It allows the consumer to come in front as a designer.” He adds, “This will eventually kill the concept of how stitching is done. In future I’m trying to make it into smaller units” For the sheer curiosity, the number of buttons used on the red cloth in question is nearly 600. The flexible piece of fabric wasn’t a minutes by chance discovery. “I started working on this garment January last.” He adds, “For my next collection, I’m trying to produce something, but have not started yet.” An invite for a show in London organised by the British Council, a regular at Lakme India Fashion Weeks, it’s perhaps Bollywood next. “I’m not looking at Bollywood; it’s only when you get the right director. They’d ask me to make ‘ghagra choli’, which might not go with my sensibility,” and Anuj sees off any plans to dress up actors in the near future. While on the workshop ahead, “I’ll be teaching them elements in design principles; it’s more like sharing what I know. What we need in design education are good teachers. Design doesn’t really mean form or shape, it’s more about the meaning attached to each form and shape.” For the students, lessons have just begun. manpriya@tribunemail.com |
|
Street magic
It is a literary classic that transcends barriers of time and space. No wonder then, its stirring impact has not diminished even 62 years after it first took the American theatre by storm. When an all-Indian cast and crew staged Tennesse William's magnum opus A Streetcar Named Desire in Hyderabad on Saturday, the audience was left spellbound, soaking up the angst of a society caught in a clash of values.
Popular film star Bhumika Chawla made her debut in theatre, essaying a key role in the play that depicts the conflict of post-war American society. Bhumika put up a splendid maiden performance on stage while playing the character of Stella Kowalski, a docile and lovable girl whose devotion to her brutish husband remains intact despite his moral transgressions. And how did she find the switch over from films to theatre? "It was tough and challenging at the same time because there are no re-takes here. Either you are applauded or straightaway rejected by the live audience," says the glamorous actor. She is looking forward to more and more stage performances in future, particularly those adapted from literary classics. "I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being part of this classic drama that has influenced theatre lovers across the world," she adds. The three-hour play, brought to India for the first time by Kartaal Productions, transported the audience to New Orleans of 1940s and presented an intense interplay of emotions by the main characters immortalised by the American playwright. Presented in a classic Broadway style, with elaborate sets and lighting to recreate the ambience of the bygone era, the unique feature of the play was that it scrupulously followed the original script of Williams, who received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948. Such was the success of the original play that it ran to packed houses for 885 days non-stop after it opened on Broadway in December 1947. Widely appreciated as an all-time great classic, it captured the cultural clash between old-world Southern ideals and a new emerging America, represented by two iconic characters in the drama - Blanche DuBois, a fading beauty, and Stanley Kowalski, a brutish, aggressive and sensual man who is a symbol of urban working class. For some, this American saga of disintegrating values may seem incongruous in the present times but for India, caught in a perennial conflict between the old and new, the message is timeless. "We chose this play as our maiden production because of its sheer intensity and literary value that breaks the barriers of cultures and space. As a producer, the challenge before me was to meet Broadway benchmarks. We have presented it in its original form without changing even a word or expression. It has been an exhilarating experience," says producer-actor Seema Azharuddin who played the role of Blanche with aplomb. The play was directed by Dr K Srikanth Iyengar, who also donned the role of Stanley Kowalski. Although he managed to get the cocky and violent acts of the character well, he was, at times, yelling and shrieking, probably weighed down by the expectations of matching up to Marlon Brando, the original star who immortalised the character by his gutsy performance. "To date, theatre lovers across the world consider this to be the number one play in the hall of fame. For every actor doing the role of Blanche Dubois, learning and expressing the lines written for this character has been most challenging," says Seema. It was a laudable effort by Kartaal Production, launched about six months ago, to bring the best of the world classics to India. "We plan to stage the play in other Indian cities as well. We also have plans to produce plays in other Indian languages," she adds. The company plans two productions a year to promote great writers and playwrights of the world, and those from our own Indian libraries. And why was Hyderabad chosen for Indian premier of A Streetcar Named Desire? "The reason is that this is my karmabhoomi. I spent my childhood here and always wanted to stage my debut production here," Seema adds. The play opens with the arrival of Blanche, a penniless Southern lady, at the apartment of her sister Stella in the Faubourg Marigny of New Orleans. She arrives there through a streetcar route named "Desire". What follows is a disturbing drama of disintegration, sexual exploitation and domestic violence. Blanche slowly descends into decay, caught at the hands of savage and brutal forces in modern society. Blanche represents a constant conflict between illusion and reality, hope and despair. |
Ace choreographer Shiamak Dhavar will rope in ten top Bollywood stars for his upcoming directorial debut movie Dance. "The movie will have ten Bollywood stars playing the role of guides to ten slum kids who will be acting in my movie," Shiamak said. The stars include Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapoor, Govinda, Madhuri Dixit, Sridevi and Helen. "I am yet to approach these actors. All of them are my friends and my movie is on a social cause," the choreographer, who was last seen as a judge in the dance reality show Jhalak Dhikla ja along with actor Rani Mukherjee, said. Shiamak will be seen multi-tasking in this movie as apart from directing, he is also acting and singing in the movie. "I will be a mentor to the kids in the movie and will be playing a role based on my real life," Shiamak said. The 10 kids would be selected from slums in Dharavi and Mulund based on their talent to dance. — PTI
|
|
Koffee break The dusky Bengali beauty Bipasha Basu has shown an amazing range as an actor in Omkara and Pankh but scaled a new high in Corporate. There is confidence in her gait… and a sense of self-assurance in whatever she is doing. She is in the news again for her super duper performance in Rahul Dholakia's Lamhaa, a keenly awaited film that dwells on the plight of Kashmiris. It is a political-drama that unfolds in Kashmir. Bipasha tells Lifestyle about playing a character Aziza in her July 16 release Lamhaa, directed by award-winning Parzania fame Rahul Dholakia. What do you play in Lamhaa? I play Aziza, a hardliner whose ideology undergoes a transformation. She has inner and external conflicts. She had to be internally strong to face her inner turmoil, physically agile and aggressive. How did you bag the film? Rahul Dholakia, who won nation award for his 2005 film Parzania called me one day. I really wanted to work with him. He told me that I would suit the character and my face fit the bill. Were you okay with playing a completely de-glamorised role? I was okay. I will do whatever my character is supposed to do in a film. Stylist Shabina Khan has designed my dresses. I had to study the images of ordinary Kashmiris. Was Rahul Dholakia a hard taskmaster? Well, he is a hard taskmaster. But we became friends while shooting in Kashmir. You have to understand that he was the only director shooting there. What is the story of Lamhaa? It is about the years and years of oppression from one side to the other. It is about infiltration, about terrorism, identify crisis and survival. What are your expectations from this film? It is the most difficult and beautiful film of my career. I have great expectations from this film. What is next for you? I am doing Priyadarshan's Akrosh with Ajay Devgan. — Dharam Pal
|
|
"My clothes are subtle and reflect the wearer's personal sense of style. Even a fully beaded couture piece will never be extremely embellished nor extremely revealing. Promos of Aisha are looking very stylish with all the female leads are looking chic and sophisticated. The effort that has gone into the clothes may remind the audiences of glamorous-looking movies like Devil Wears Prada, Priceless and Sex and the City. If you log on to the official website of Aisha, you will see Sonam sitting comfortably on a red couch wearing a nude tulle ruffled gown by Depala. She has also created little dresses that are soft and flowery. One of these is a nude lace shift with a racer back design and another tulle flowery dress with a bow and small pearls. — IANS
|
|
The Sanjay Dutt-Bipasha Basu starrer directed by Rahul Dholakia, who won the national award for Parzania, is slated to hit theatres on Friday all over. The social action thriller was shot in Kashmir. The incidents are real but the basic story is fictitious. It is about a military intelligence officer who comes to unearth a terrorist plot. The director tries to establish why Kashmir is the way it is and what happens to the future. Lamhaa also stars Shernaz Patel, Yashpal Sharma, Vipin Sharma, Rajesh Khera, Murli Sharma Vishwajeet Pradhan. Syed Qadri has penned the lyrics and Mithoon has composed he music. High flier Udaan is a powerful film about a father-son relationship based in a small town. It is a new kind of film and completely belongs to the young director Vikram Motwane. It is the first Indian film, which was screened in the Un Certain Regard category at the Cannes Film Festival 2010. The film stars Ronit Roy, Ram Kapoor, Rajat Barmecha, Anand Tiwari and Manjot Singh. Aayan Bordia is a star to watch in Udaan in which he has received a lot of critical acclaim. Amit Trivedi has composed the music for Udaan. Laugh it off A spoof on Osama Bin Laden, the film releases this Friday. Ali Zafar, a singer from Pakistan plays the lead. It is a comedy and deals with how young people treat life in a humourous way. Abhishek Sharma makes debut as a director and music is by
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. — Dharam Pal |
|
|
| 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 | |
This so because Diwan Manna of the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi, well-known now for his high-end art events, has invited Prof. Bulent Atalay, author of Math and the Mona Lisa, to talk on the art and science of the great master. 
Amarjit Chandan: I did see the famous Mona Lisa in 1999.When you enter Louvre every one is seen rushing to the painting. The room where it hangs is always over-crowded. People jostle to have a glimpse, be close and then to be photographed by their friends. I’d need to see the painting in a peaceful atmosphere, which is not possible for a commoner like me. Perhaps heads of states and VIPs could have that opportunity. In contrast, seeing Michelangelo’s immortal work in Sistine Chapel in the Vatican was a divine experience. It inspired me to write a poem.
Harmeet
Kaur: I went to see it once and the second time I took my daughters as well. How do I relate the experience? It is like going to a temple with veneration to see a sacred idol, but ending up hardly getting a glimpse because of the jostling crowds. The glass case is a hindrance and it is not hung at eye-level so one has to crane one’s neck to have a look. In fact I am enjoying the reproduction on the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akdemi’s invite more than being face to face with it at
Louvre.
Diwan Manna: Yes I did see Mona Lisa during my 7th or 8th visit to
Louvre, as I was not really particularly keen to see Mona Lisa. There is so much to see in Louvre and Mona Lisa always requires a long wait before you can see it. Not that I had no desire but for me other attractions were greater like Egyptian art, sculptures and much more. I saw it a few years back. The experience was all right as one cannot spend too much time due to the mad rush. I was looking at the onlookers as well as the artwork itself. We go crazy for some art works that are famous, but then if one really has to appreciate one definitely requires longer duration of time to appreciate the finer points of such great works.
What happens if you find three restaurants while you were just looking for one? If Cappuchino, pasta, Galouti Kebabs and Thai curry shared the same space? How often does it happen that you are in a mood for an exotic oriental treat and decide to go for a coffee instead? Quite often, when you have a gourmet destination like Page 3, the first-of-its-kind in the tricity, which opened at the Huda Complex-5, Panchkula.
How far can you go with a piece of clothing? A couple of straps, buttons, bands…turn it into a corset one moment, into a curtain the next, may be a cushion cover the very next! In the city to review the passing out collection of INIFD students and guide them on the elements of fashion, Anuj Sharma fills imagination’s gap. For the moment, we get acquainted with his design principles.
Remember the Hollywood movies where you drool as much over the clothes and styling as over the plot? Now comes an Indian movie that promises to give glimpses of high street fashion in India and set a benchmark for Bollywood. Aisha will see actress Sonam Kapoor embrace dresses that are soft and flowery, including a nude tulle flowery one with a bow and small pearls. The woman behind this pretty wardrobe is Dubai-based designer Ayesha Depala. "Aisha Kapoor is a girl from Delhi. She loves her clothes and animals, is very feminine and fashion forward. I could very much relate to her in the movie because she is quintessentially like my brand in many ways," said Depala.
Shades of life